DEFENCE

Porton Down Volunteers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 936W, regarding the 1973 report prepared at Porton Down, on what dates the Ethics Committee overseeing the human experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment scrutinised this experiment; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the committee which relate to the discussion of this experiment.

Lewis Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Porton Down Volunteers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down in 1985 entitled "Pyridostigmine pre-treatment and neuromuscular transmission in man—a study using single fibre electromyography".

Lewis Moonie: Yes. This technical note reports preliminary results and analysis. The full results and final conclusions of the work in which Service volunteers who had been exposed to a low dose of Sarin and monitored over a number of years using single fibre electromyography have already been published entitled: "Single fibre electromyographic changes in man after organophosphate exposure" (Human and Experimental Toxicology 1996, 15, 367–75).

Porton Down Volunteers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of the common and chemical names of the vesicants which have been tested on Service volunteers at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down during the Service volunteer programme; and if he will list the numbers of Service volunteers who were tested with each of these vesicants.

Lewis Moonie: At present there are no definitive figures detailing the numbers of Service volunteers who have been exposed to vesicant agents or all the agents which were used. However, it is believed that some 8,000 individuals have participated in studies which have involved the use of the following two vesicants:
	Sulphur mustard; chemical name 2–2'-di(chloroethyl) sulphide
	Lewisite; chemical name 2-chlorovinyl dichloroarsine.
	In addition, a small number of volunteers may have been exposed to the following two vesicants during the Service volunteer programme:
	Phosgene oxime; chemical name dichloroformoxime
	Nitrogen mustard; chemical name 2–2'-2''-tri(chloroethyl)amine.

Test and Evaluation Centres

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the BUTEC and Rona test and evaluation ranges, and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The BUTEC and Rona ranges are Ministry of Defence facilities operated by QinetiQ under contract to MOD. They provide a comprehensive range of test and evaluation facilities, for which the MOD has a continuing requirement.

Munitions

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the quality difference between shells manufactured in (a) the USA and (b) the UK by BAE Systems.

Lewis Moonie: All munitions, irrespective of the country of manufacture, must meet the Department's same high quality requirements and rigorous safety standards before entering service with the UK armed forces.

Munitions

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means he plans to apply benchmark prices to munitions.

Lewis Moonie: Benchmarking is already an integral part of the Framework Partnering Agreement (FPA) between Royal Ordnance Defence (ROD) and the MOD. A specific Benchmarking Working Group, comprising both MOD and ROD staff, has been established within the FPA and currently uses two techniques to monitor benchmarking. These techniques are comparative analysis and performance analysis.

Explosives

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long-term security of supply for explosives is defined in the Framework Partnering Agreement between his Department and ROD.

Lewis Moonie: The Department entered into a Framework Partnering Agreement with Royal Ordnance Defence in 1999. Long-term security of supply is not specifically defined within the agreement; however, both parties are committed to a long-term relationship and continuous dialogue on matters of mutual interest, including security of supply.

Explosives

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much explosive used by his Department was bought from the USA in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Lewis Moonie: In the last 12 months, the Ministry of Defence has not bought explosive substances from the USA.

Explosives

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if the ROD Framework Partners Agreement includes the plant in Bridgwater;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 656W, on explosives, which plants controlled by BAe are (a) included and (b) not included in the Framework Partnering Agreement between his Department and ROD.

Lewis Moonie: The Royal Ordnance Defence (ROD) facility at Radway Green is explicitly included in the Framework Partnering Agreement because of the organisational structure of the Company. Beyond this, individual ROD facilities are not specifically included or excluded from the Agreement.

Depleted Uranium

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the training exercises that have taken place on the Eskmeals and Kirkcudbright training areas over the last five years and the regiments that have been involved.

Lewis Moonie: The training exercises (broken down by type of training) that have taken place on Kirkcudbright training area within the last five years, and the formations or units that have been involved are shown in the table:
	
		
			   Year and frequency  
			 Formation training (non-firming exercises) Formation/unit 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Extended period operational training HQ Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 8 
			 Exercise Eagles Eye 16 Air Assault Brigade 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Exercise Eagles Strike Queens Own Yeomanry 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Operational training 5 Airbourne Brigade 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Exercise Northern Lights 3 Royal Marines Commando 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Exercise Swift Hawk 5 Army Air Corps 0 0 8 4 1 
			 Exercise Executive Stretch 107 Brigade 0 1 2 1 0 
			 Individual training Infantry Training Centre Catterick 2 6 11 7 2 
			 Exercise Deep George 1 Reconnaissance Brigade 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Field firing 39 Regiment Royal Artillery 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Field firing 32 Regiment Royal Artillery 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Field firing 101 Regiment Royal Artillery 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Field firing 9 Royal Irish Regiment 0 0 3 0 0 
			 Field firing A Company Kings Own Scottish Borderers 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Field firing 3 Squadron Royal Air Force 0 0 0 4 0 
			 Field firing A Company Black Watch 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Non-firing exercises Officer Training Corp Glasgow 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises C Company Lowland Volunteer 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises Scottish Yeomanry 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 105 Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 4/5 Irish Rangers 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 27 Transport Regiment 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 245 Provost Company 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises Campbell College 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 4/5 Royal Irish 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises Royal Ghurka Rifles 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 24 Field Ambulance 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 3 Royal Highland Fusiliers 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 152 Field Ambulance 0 0 1 2 0 
			 Non-firing exercises Scottish Transport Regiment 0 0 2 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 9 Royal Irish Regiment 0 0 3 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 162 Squadron Royal Corps of Transport 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises United States Navy SEALs 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 101 Regiment Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 52 Lowland Regiment 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Non-firing exercises 204 Field Ambulance 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Non-firing exercises Royal Marines Reserves Scotland 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Non-firing exercises Officer Training Corps (Northumbrian) 0  0 0 1 
		
	
	Eskmeals is not used in support of training activities for any of the three services. The site is owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated by QinetiQ who provide test and evaluation services in support of the UK armed forces on a variety of medium to heavy calibre weapon systems.

MOD Land (Access)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the changes necessary to open up his Department's land to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: A pilot audit was undertaken using the BT millennium miles scheme that led to the upgrading of a track and path to improve wheelchair access, and more are planned. New paths have been constructed at Sennybridge, including one that will permit wheelchair access. This, together with paths at Lulworth, and Elstead Common, Longmoor, is promoted as "Easy-going Trails" in the fourth edition of "Walks on MOD Lands" and in the "Access" section of the DE website.

MOD Land (Access)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the public annually used the public access areas on his Department's land in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: No comprehensive surveys have been carried out to establish the numbers of visitors who access the defence estate, However, in January 2002, as a first step in meeting the targets set by the estate strategy "In Trust and on Trust" (published in June 2000), pilot visitors surveys were carried out at the Aldershot training area and Willsworthy Ranges. These provided promising results, but need to be developed further before they are used elsewhere at suitable Ministry of Defence sites.

MOD Land (Access)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment has been made of public access to his Department's land; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: There is a presumption in favour of access to the defence estate wherever this is compatible with operational and military training uses, public safety, security, conservation, and the interests of Ministry of Defence's tenants. This policy was set out in 2000 in the estate strategy "In Trust and on Trust" together with a number of objectives in respect of access and recreation.
	A number of pilot studies have been carried out in furtherance of those objectives: at Willsworthy Ranges and Aldershot training area on visitor numbers, and two at Lulworth, on path conditions and applying the BT millennium miles scheme. This led to the upgrading of tracks at Lulworth to improve wheelchair access. Similar studies will be carried out elsewhere. A fourth edition of the booklet "Walks on MOD Lands", was published and the updated "Access" section of the defence estates website went live in November 2001.
	These initiatives have been developed in conjunction with a variety of external stakeholders, and reflect the Ministry of Defence's continuing commitment to improving public access to the defence estate.

MOD Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to ensure that complaints from service personnel and their families about the suitability or condition of his Department's housing is investigated and dealt with; what targets the DHE has in dealing with complaints; what the level of achieving these targets was in the last year; what steps are being taken to improve the complaints procedure; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Defence Housing Executive (DHE) has a formal procedure for investigating and resolving complaints about Service Families Accommodation (SFA), which is publicised in the Occupants Handbook. A copy is available in each family quarter. The current targets are to acknowledge written complaints within one working day and to send a full response within 10 working days.
	In the first nine months of the current reporting year, which started on 1 April 2001, the DHE responded to 95 per cent. of all written complaints within the target times. Complaints procedures are currently under review as part of the development of DHE's customer care strategy.

MOD Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many cases of suspected property fraud in the provision of his Department's housing have been taken to court in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what incentives have been provided for private companies to (a) detect and (b) report fraud in his Department's housing; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assets have been frozen in suspected property fraud cases in the provision of his Department's housing in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many cases of suspected property fraud in the provision of MOD housing have been successfully prosecuted in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: No cases of suspected fraud relating to the provision of housing by the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) have gone to court since 1997. However, a case of property fraud has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice, with a view to criminal prosecution. Two additional cases of suspected fraud have been referred to the Defence Fraud Analysis Unit (DFAU) for investigation and may come to court in the future.
	No incentives are paid to private companies to detect and report suspected fraud. The Ministry of Defence has a policy of zero tolerance to fraud and this is impressed upon contractors. Companies are expected to produce their own anti-fraud policy statement when tendering for contracts.
	To date, for the period beginning 1997, the MOD police have no record of any assets having been frozen in suspected property fraud cases associated with the provision of accommodation by the Department.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military officers are expected to be present at the Queen's Golden Jubilee festivities; of that number, how many will be there for the purpose of (a) protection/security, (b) marching in the parade and (c) performing music; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: I am withholding details of protection or security operations in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. A Golden Jubilee Festival is due to take place in central London on the afternoon of the 4 June 2002 at which the armed forces will play an appropriate part. However the details are still being finalised with the organisers.

Israel

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for which MOD contracts Israeli companies are bidding as (a) prime contractors and (b) as teaming partners; and in the case of the latter, with which companies they are teamed.

Lewis Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Service Personnel Memorial

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the memorial to service personnel killed since the Second World War; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Pursuant to the answer I gave on 20 March 2002, Official Report, column 313W, I regret that a paragraph was omitted from the answer in error. The answer should have included the following paragraph. Those members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Merchant Navy who were killed in conflict zones while in direct support of the armed forces will also be included on the memorial.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if submissions are being made by the House of Commons Commission to the review being carried out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life on the future appointment of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and related matters; and if he will make a statement.

Archy Kirkwood: The House of Commons Commission has been invited to contribute to the inquiry by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, and will do so.

PRIME MINISTER

Energy Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on energy costs incurred by his office in each of the last 10 years.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 March 2002, Official Report, columns 267–68W.

Local Elections

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister what advice has been given to civil servants on the conduct of Government business during the forthcoming elections to local councils on 2 May.

Tony Blair: The Government have issued guidance to civil servants on the principles which they should observe in relation to the conduct of Government business in the period before the forthcoming elections.
	The guidance stressed that civil servants should conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code and is based on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the civil service and the need to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes.
	The guidance will come into force on 11 April.
	Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library of the House, and are also available from the Vote Office.

Surveillance Commissioners

Andrew Miller: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make an announcement about the appointment and re- appointment of surveillance commissioners under Part III of the Police Act 1997.

Tony Blair: In accordance with Section 91 of the Police Act 1997, after consultation with the Scottish Ministers, I have agreed to appoint and re-appoint the following surveillance commissioners to assist Sir Andrew Leggatt, the chief surveillance commissioner. There are three commissioners for England and Wales, two for Scotland and one for Northern Ireland. However, the remit of each commissioner covers the whole of the United Kingdom so that any commissioner can act in jurisdictions other than his own.
	I have appointed from 1 November 2001, as a commissioner the Right hon. Lord Sutherland, who served as a judge of the Court of Session from 1985 to 2001, for a period of three years.
	I have also re-appointed as commissioners:
	Sir Charles McCullough who was appointed as surveillance commissioner in 1998 and is re-appointed for a further three years from 1 November 2001. He served as a High Court judge of the Queen's Bench Division from 1981 to 1998;
	The right hon. Sir Michael Hutchison who was appointed as surveillance commissioner in 1998 and is re-appointed for a further three years from 1 November 2001. He served as a Lord Justice of Appeal from 1995 to 1999;
	Lord Bonomy who was appointed as surveillance commissioner in 1998 and is re-appointed for a further three years from 1 November 2001. He has been a judge of the Court of Session since 1997;
	The right hon. Sir John MacDermott who was appointed as surveillance commissioner in 1998 and is re-appointed, 1 November 2001, until 1 October 2003.
	The commissioners are appointed under the provisions of Part III of the Police Act 1997. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 extended the commissioners remit. Since the authorisation of intrusive surveillance operations forms a key component of the Government's response to serious and organised crime, I attach considerable importance to these appointments and I am delighted that the commissioners have accepted their appointments. In conjunction with Sir Andrew Leggatt, their substantial judicial experience, particularly of the criminal justice system, will provide independent oversight of surveillance operations, which although operationally important, must also be subject to stringent safeguards.

Golden Jubilee

Lorna Fitzsimons: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on plans for celebrating the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne.

Tony Blair: I announced on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 205W, the programme of visits and other events throughout the United Kingdom from May to August this year, which will be undertaken by Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, to mark the Golden Jubilee.
	I am, therefore, pleased to be able to announce further details of the programme of Jubilee visits to the London boroughs which they will carry out during the summer of this year. Although the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will not be able to visit every borough, their itinerary will enable them to meet as many Londoners as possible.
	The programme is as follows:
	East London
	9 May—The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The Queen will also visit Barking and Dagenham.
	North London
	6 June—The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Barnet, Brent and Haringey.
	West London
	25 June—The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Bushy Park, Gunnersbury Park, Hillingdon and Kingston-upon-Thames.
	South London
	4 July—The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Croydon, Crystal Palace and Lewisham.
	These details, together with further information about other confirmed Golden Jubilee celebrations and events can be found on the searchable calendar of events on the official Golden Jubilee website at http://www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk/. The British Monarchy website at http://www.royal.gov.uk/ also has details of the Queen's programme and other royal engagements. These will be updated throughout the year as confirmation of events is received.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Arms Deals

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has to stop bribery and corruption in arms deals involving UK firms.

Nigel Griffiths: This Government are not prepared to treat corruption as a necessary part of doing business, whether the deal involves arms or not.

Social Enterprise

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she intends to take to assist social entrepreneurs.

Douglas Alexander: A range of measures to support and develop social enterprises, and the people who work in them, will be included in the Social Enterprise Strategy I intend to publish after Easter.

Construction

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the construction industry.

Patricia Hewitt: Government and industry are taking forward three policy initiatives designed to increase the overall productivity and competitiveness of the UK construction industry.
	First, Rethinking Construction. In partnership with the industry we are using demonstration projects, case studies and best practice dissemination to prove the business case for change and to provide practical means by which companies can improve their productivity and competitiveness and clients can demand products that actually enhance their own performance. We have agreed to continue the initiative until April 2004.
	Second, my Department supports a substantial programme of construction-related innovation and research. Sir John Fairclough, a former Government chief scientist, has recently conducted a review for us of how we should best provide that support in the future. The report establishes an excellent framework for improving the effectiveness of construction research. We are consulting the industry on how we can work with them to take forward the recommendations.
	Finally, the Quality Mark Scheme, which will enable builders to demonstrate their competence and to distinguish themselves from their less reputable rivals. The scheme will be rolled out across the country over a three to four year period.
	These three closely connected initiatives are being taken forward against a backdrop of continuing work with the industry to understand the various issues it faces, especially in relation to wider Government policy, to ensure we develop polices and regulations that recognise the competitiveness issues in the industry while meeting Government's broader objectives on the environment, safety and so on.

Paid Leave

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her policy on entitlement to payment for bank holidays.

Alan Johnson: Entitlement to time off on bank holidays depends on an employee's contract of employment. However, under the Working Time Regulations, employees are entitled to a minimum of four weeks' leave per year with pay. They may use part of this entitlement to take time off on bank holidays, subject to their employer's agreement.

Scott Report

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will implement the recommendations of the Scott report on export licensing.

Nigel Griffiths: The Bill responds to the Scott report's key recommendations that the existing export control should be replaced with legislation that:
	Sets restrictions on the Government's power to control exports;
	Gives Parliament the power to scrutinise orders introduced under export control legislation.
	In addition the Bill gives the Government important new powers to control trafficking and brokering in arms, and the transfer of sensitive technology by intangible means.
	Lord Scott has welcomed the Bill, commenting that "for the first time in some 50 years there are proposals for export controls which will have constitutional and democratic respectability." (Lord Scott made this comment during the Bill's Second Readings in the House of Lords—Hansard, 8 January column 482).

Knowledge Transfer

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to promote knowledge transfer between the university sector and British industry.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government's two White Papers, "Excellence and Opportunity", published in July 2000, and "Opportunity for All", published in February 2001, set out our science and innovation policy for the 21st century, and include a comprehensive range of measures to help promote knowledge transfer between the university sector and British industry. We are making excellent progress.
	We are considering, as part of the Government's spending review, how to further develop these initiatives to build on universities' potential as drivers of growth in the knowledge economy.

Steel Industry

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to help the Welsh steel industry.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department and the National Assembly for Wales work closely with the steel industry to provide support to improve the sector's competitiveness. The Welsh Assembly co-ordinates the All-Wales Steel Task Force with the aim of promoting the industry as well as dealing with the consequences of restructuring.
	My Department has supported a number of industry-led initiatives which benefit companies in Wales and elsewhere in the UK. The Metals Industry Competitive Enterprise (MICE) aims to introduce lean manufacturing techniques throughout the sector. Welsh companies are among those who have already taken advantage of this important initiative. In February I announced funding for the new National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) which I hope will play an important role in ensuring the UK metals industry as a whole remains a world leader in innovation.

Steel Industry

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the British steel industry.

Patricia Hewitt: The UK steel industry has experienced difficult trading conditions in recent years and many jobs have been lost through restructuring and cost cutting. However, the industry has an excellent productivity record, produces a wide range of high quality products and has a well trained work force helping it compete against international competition at home and overseas. We are determined to stand by the industry in combating the recent unjustified US action to impose prohibitive import tariffs.

Steel Industry

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were employed in the UK steel industry in each of the last 20 years.

Patricia Hewitt: The number of people employed in the UK steel industry in each of the last 20 years was:
	
		
			  (1)Thousand 
		
		
			 1982 74.5 
			 1983 63.7 
			 1984 61.9 
			 1985 59.0 
			 1986 55.9 
			 1987 54.9 
			 1988 55.1 
			 1989 53.8 
			 1990 50.8 
			 1991 45.1 
			 1992 40.8 
			 1993 39.2 
			 1994 38.1 
			 1995 37.9 
			 1996 36.5 
			 1997 35.2 
			 1998 32.5 
			 1999 28.9 
			 2000 25.5 
			 2001 (2)22.0 
		
	
	(1) Number employed at end of year on European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) iron and steel activities.
	(2) Estimated.
	Source:
	The Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau.

Post Office Network

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to publicise the services available at local post offices.

Douglas Alexander: This is an operational matter for Consignia.
	I have however been informed by Post Office Ltd. that extensive marketing and advertising are undertaken to raise awareness of new and existing products offered through the post office network.

Post Office Network

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on the rural postal network.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member for the Vale of York to my answer on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 69W.

Post Office Network

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to maintain the network of sub-post offices in urban neighbourhoods.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the hon. Member for Hertsmere earlier today.

Broadband

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what she is doing to increase use of broadband technology.

Douglas Alexander: The Government strategy to drive broadband rollout and take up was set out in the UK Online annual report published in December 2001.
	The report includes a number of actions to stimulate demand, by making it easier to access broadband services, and stimulating the demand and supply of new broadband content and applications.

Broadband

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many homes and businesses have a broadband connection.

Douglas Alexander: Oftel's broadband brief published in February 2002 reported that there were over 146,000 ADSL end-users and 196,000 cable modem end-users. Take-up is growing rapidly, with a growth of over 500 per cent. over the last year.

Menswear Exports

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to raise with the WTO the tariff on exports of menswear from the United Kingdom to the United States; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: This issue will be addressed as part of the market access negotiations within the WTO Doha Development.

Clean Coal Technology

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received following the publication of the energy report by the performance and innovation unit on clean coal technology; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: To date we have received no representations following the publication of my Department's review on Government support for cleaner coal technology demonstration plant.

Trade Sanctions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has, in coordination with European partners, for targeted trade sanctions on US products.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government fully support the European Commission's request for consultations with the US, including seeking compensation for the damage to EU trade by the US measures. We will await the outcome of these consultations before reaching any final view on other responses to the US measures.

Philippines

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her statement of 15 November 2001, Official Report, column 1000, on the WTO, what progress has been made in consultations with the Philippines on trade issues in relation to Mindanao.

Patricia Hewitt: Although the Government do not have a bilateral aid programme with the Philippines, the Philippines does receive considerable support from other donors and from multilateral organisations, including the World bank and the Asian Development bank, both of which receive funds from the Government. These multilateral resources should enable the Government of the Philippines to tackle poverty and achieve faster growth, provided that a sound policy environment can be maintained.
	If the Mindanao train project is sound and requires concessional resources, multilateral finance should be available.

Vibration White Finger

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the decision to set a deadline on new claims to the compensation scheme for current and ex-miners suffering from vibration white finger.

Patricia Hewitt: The number of new claims registered under the scheme is declining and this has led to reduced opening times for many testing centres. The Department is keen to ensure that existing claims are assessed and settled as soon as possible. In consultation with the Claimants' Solicitors Group the Department has agreed a cut-off date of 31 October 2002. This has been advertised in local and national press.
	Once the scheme is closed, claims may still be accepted by solicitors and processed as personal injury claims.

Climate Change Levy

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about the cost impact of the climate change levy on the competitive position of manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department has received a number of representations from business about the climate change levy.
	The Government are keeping in touch with business on the levy to monitor initial experience with its operation. Primary responsibility for the levy lies with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Environmental Policies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she takes to integrate environmental concerns into her Department's policies.

Patricia Hewitt: DTI's aim is to ensure that environmental concerns are brought into the mainstream of the Department's policy-making and operational management, within the wider context of promoting sustainable development.
	The effectiveness of DTI's procedures for environmental screening and appraisal of policies were reviewed last year by a member of the Foresight Environmental Appraisal Task Force and the Department's internal audit. New guidelines are being finalised which will be published on DTI's website.
	DTI's Estates and Facilities Management Directorate run an environmental managements system accredited to ISO 14001 covering DTI's HQ Buildings. It incorporates monitoring, control and regular audits to ensure the continued effectiveness of the system and to track progress towards targets.

Science

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her policy on British science.

Patricia Hewitt: Our policy is to ensure that we continue to maintain and develop a world class science and engineering base for the UK, and take steps to ensure that it makes the greatest possible contribution towards economic growth, productivity, sustainable development and improved quality of life.

Shipbuilding

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on shipbuilding.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department continues to work closely with the shipbuilding industry to assist it in its efforts to improve its international competitiveness, employment and training.

Nigel Devereux

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the responsibility has been of Mr. Nigel Devereux during his secondment to her Department; what policy formulation Mr. Nigel Devereux has been involved in; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Mr. Nigel Devereux has held the position of Head, Downstream Oil since May 2000 in which role he deals with issues relating to the refining and marketing of petroleum products, including the formulation of policy in these areas.
	All secondments into the Department are undertaken within the principles of the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code and are subject to formal contractual arrangements covering detailed terms including issues of conflict of interest.

Labelling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regulations there are to ensure that retail products are labelled to indicate if animal experimentation had taken place in the production process.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 20 March 2002
	Animal testing is only carried out in the UK where it is necessary to ensure the health and safety of consumers i.e. before a new pharmaceutical product is placed on the market. Even in these cases some of the world's most stringent requirements for laboratory animal welfare and licensing must be fully complied with.
	The UK does not test finished cosmetic products or their ingredients on animals and has not done so since 1998. The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996, which implement the European Cosmetics Directive have a voluntary measure which allows claims about animal testing to be made if a manufacturer so chooses. There are no other regulations on product labelling with regard to animal testing.

Labelling

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to update labelling laws on animal testing to ensure consumers can make informed purchasing decisions.

Melanie Johnson: I have no such plans.
	Under the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996 manufacturers may refer to testing on animals in the labelling but any reference must state clearly whether the tests carried out involved the cosmetic product itself or its ingredients.

Government Technology Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out the Government's policy on (a) nanotechnology, (b) biotechnology and (c) manufacturing industry; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 19 March 2002
	(a) Nanotechnology—This Government recognises that nanotechnology has the potential to transform the UK industry base. We are focusing on strengthening the research base through new collaborative programme in our leading universities. Our current spend through the Research Councils on nanotechnology is worth over £30 million a year.
	We are also encouraging industry to use this investment to underpin its own research. We particularly wish to see dynamic new firms being spun out from the research base through the use of the £100 million support for seed capital funds, entrepreneurship and incubation that we have made available to the universities and public sector research establishments.
	(b) Biotechnology—The Government's policy on biotechnology is to maintain the UK as the leader in Europe in biotechnology by maximising the potential for commercial developments arising from the UK's excellence in the science base and promoting a supportive regulatory and fiscal environment in the EU and UK, such that the UK is seen as the best place in Europe for:
	(i) biotechnology enterprises to start up, operate and grow; and
	(ii) inward investment in biotechnology.
	(c) Manufacturing—The Government's policy on manufacturing industry is to ensure its future competitiveness and productivity through the stable macro-economic environment we have established, together with our policies to encourage investment, to promote enterprise, innovation, and knowledge transfer, to raise skills, and to provide an effective and competitive framework.

Claims Direct

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement as to her Department's inquiries into the (a) flotation and (b) collapse of Claims Direct.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has powers to conduct confidential inquiries into companies and these are exercised when there is good reason to do so in the public interest. The Department does not comment on the affairs of companies that are or have been the subject of inquiries under the Companies Acts. However Claims Direct Plc issued a press notice on 23 July 2001 confirming that it was providing information to the DTI under Section 447 of the Companies Act 1985.
	The Department does not know of any reason to suggest Claims Direct Plc has "collapsed".

Export Licensing

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account she takes of sustainable development issues in export licensing.

Nigel Griffiths: All relevant export licence applications are considered on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. This includes the compatibility of the arms exports with the technical and economic capacity of the recipient country, taking into account the desirability that states should achieve their legitimate needs of security and defence with the least diversion for armaments of human and economic resources.

Unsolicited Faxes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research she has undertaken on systems which allow people to opt out of receiving unsolicited faxes; and if she will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: We consulted widely about this when we were considering how to implement the Telecommunications Data Protection and Privacy Directive in 1999.
	No-one may send an unsolicited fax for direct marketing purposes to an individual subscriber without the subscriber's prior consent. Nor may anyone send such a fax to corporate subscribers if they have registered with the Fax Preference Service, or if they have told the direct marketer not to send them any further faxes. These regulations are enforced by the information commissioner.

EC State Aid Rules

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  which schemes submitted to Advantage West Midlands in the last 12 months have been ruled ineligible as a result of EC state aid rules;
	(2)  what recent representations she has received in respect of EC state aid rules.

Alan Johnson: No projects have been ruled ineligible on state aid grounds alone. Some have given rise to state aid concerns which require them either to be amended so that they do not constitute aid or so that they fell within the block exemption regulations. Other schemes, or their UK funding streams, may need to be or are being notified to the commission so that their compatibility with the EC treaty can be determined. I have received representations from Members of Parliament and businesses about the state aid rules. It is important that the rules are respected but also that they should not inhibit unnecessarily regeneration of urban centres.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Ministerial Duties

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Minister what proportion of her time she spends in each week on matters relating exclusively to women; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: My roles as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women are inextricably linked, since women are almost half the workforce, account for a third of new business start-ups and make the majority of decisions as consumers. As Minister for Women I concentrate on issues of work: life balance, narrowing the gender pay gap and women's entrepreneurship, working closely with my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office.

Science and Engineering

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Minister what steps she is taking to encourage women to take up careers in science and engineering.

Patricia Hewitt: We are raising awareness of the opportunities for women through promotional material such as SPARK magazine, ambassador and role model campaigns and by encouraging girls to try for themselves science, engineering and IT in several ways: computer clubs, the WISE Campaign Outlook programme and endorsing the "take our daughters to work" day on 25 April. We are also looking at DTI schemes to ensure that they do not inadvertently exclude women who want to return to science and engineering careers.

Flexible Working

Ann McKechin: To ask the Minister if she will make a statement on the impact of flexibility at work on productivity growth in Britain.

Patricia Hewitt: Greater flexibility at work can boost productivity by enabling employees to balance work and family responsibilities, thus improving recruitment, retention and motivation and reducing absenteeism. More flexible working hours also enable the business to meet customers needs more effectively, for instance through longer opening hours.

Equal Pay

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Minister what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Equal Pay Act 1970.

Patricia Hewitt: The Equal Pay Act had a significant impact in reducing the pay gap from 37 per cent. in 1975 to 18 per cent. today. It has been effective in providing legal protection against pay discrimination but also in challenging the culture of undervaluing women.
	We are taking forward action to tackle the complex underlying factors behind the pay gap including promoting a voluntary approach to pay reviews among employers through the Castle Awards and with the help of the Fair Pay Champions, carrying out pay audits in Government Departments, and taking forward recommendations from the Kingsmill Review.

Gender Pay Gap

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for Women what research her Department is undertaking on the gap between men and women's pay.

Patricia Hewitt: The Women and Equality Unit published a comprehensive report called "The Gender Pay Gap" on 5 December 2001. It found that the key causes of the gender pay gap were: women having less work experience and lower levels of qualifications; part-time work; differences in travel patterns; and occupational and workplace segregation.

International Women's Day

David Amess: To ask the Minister what representations she has received about celebrating International Women's Day.

Patricia Hewitt: On International Women's Day I spoke at a conference and exhibition in Leicester which was attended by women from the many different communities across the city.
	I also received invitations from the London borough of Waltham Forest and the UK Association for the UN Development Fund for Women.
	My hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office marked the occasion by announcing the Castle Awards which will reward employers work in tackling equal pay issues and help narrow the gender pay gap.

Mothers (Return to Work)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the obstacles preventing those mothers who want to return to work from doing so.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government have identified a number of obstacles which may deter mothers who want to return to work, including the difficulties of balancing work and family life, access to child care facilities, difficulties making work pay, skills becoming out of date and lack of confidence. We are promoting a range of measures to tackle these issues.

SCOTLAND

Access to Government Information

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many requests have so far been received in 2001–02 for information in accordance with the Government's Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Helen Liddell: For the period 31 January 2001 to 28 February 2002 seven requests have been received for information in accordance with the Government's Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Memorandum of Understanding

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the resource implications in 2001–02 of the Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary agreements.

Helen Liddell: There are no separately identifiable costs relating to the Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary agreements. Any work would be carried out by staff as part of their normal duties and I would expect the costs to be small.

Newspaper Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the expenditure of her (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title in each year since 1997.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since that date, expenditure on newspaper advertising was as shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Period/newspaper Expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2000  
			 Sun (Scotland) 3,643.00 
			 Aberdeen Press and Journal 3,290.00 
			 Dundee Courier 3,277.00 
			 Scotsman 3,290.00 
			 Daily Record 7,403.00 
			 Herald 4,113.00 
			   
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001  
			 Sun (Scotland) 7,520.00 
			 Sunday Herald 6,630.00 
			 Aberdeen Press and Journal 15,002.00 
			 Daily Record 15,040.00 
			 Dundee Courier 17,434.00 
			 Scotsman 17,146.00 
			 Herald 18,753.00 
			 Scotland on Sunday 12,859.00 
			 News of the World 4,759.00 
			 Sunday Mail 11,104.00 
			 Sunday Post 7,465.00 
			 Sunday Times 12,521.00 
			   
			 1 April 2001 to 31 January 2002  
			 Sunday Herald 2,143.00 
			 Aberdeen Press and Journal 13,886.00 
			 Daily Record 31,080.00 
			 Sun (Scotland) 1,487.00 
			 Dundee Courier 17,420.00 
			 Scotsman 14,781.00 
			 Herald 20,487.00 
			 Scotland on Sunday 4,286.00 
			 Sunday Mail 7,050.00 
			 Sunday Post 4,976.00 
			 Scottish Farmer 1,555.00 
			 Campbeltown Courier 117.00 
			 Lloyds List 552.00 
			 Ballymena Times 162.00 
		
	
	Most of the advertising costs relate to electoral registration publicity and information on postal voting.

Departmental Payments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the instances in which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01.

Helen Liddell: In the financial year 2000–01 my Department received 3,716 invoices in respect of goods and services and 3,709 (99.7 per cent.) were paid within 30 days.

Departmental Rebranding

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost was of rebranding her Department following its name change after devolution.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Costs of £2,140 were incurred for changes to signage at Scotland Office buildings in Edinburgh and London and there were minor additional costs for stationery items.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total expenditure of her Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. The Department's IT systems and support is provided by the Scottish Executive. Costs were as follows:
	1 July 1999 to 31 March 2000: £63,046
	2000–01: £188,594
	2001–02 (to date): £142,174.
	The Scotland Office has let no IT contracts during this period.

Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the publications issued by her Department in each of the last four years; and what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since then, the Department has issued the following publications:
	
		
			  Title Circulation Cost (£) Purpose 
		
		
			 1999–2000 Assessment of the Voter Education Campaign for the Scottish Parliament Scotland Office Website and available to purchase from The Stationery Office 18,950 Commissioned to assess the effectiveness of the Voter Education campaign for the Scottish Parliament elections in 1999 
			 1999–2000 The Scotland Office Departmental Report Published on the Scotland Office website and presented to Parliament 2,000 This is published jointly and presented to parliament by the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. It explains the Department's aims, objectives and gives details of expenditure plans. 
			 1999–2000 The Scotland Office Resource Accounts Laid in Parliament by the Secretary of State for Scotland 150 These accounts report expenditure by the Department in resource terms. 
			 2000–01 The Scotland Office Departmental Report Published on the Scotland Office website and presented to Parliament 2,200 This is published jointly and presented to parliament by the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. It explains the Department's aims and objectives and gives details of expenditure plans. 
			 2000–01 The Scotland Office Resource Accounts Laid in Parliament by the Secretary of State for Scotland 2,300 These accounts report expenditure by the Department in resource terms. 
		
	
	
		
			  Title Circulation Cost (£) Purpose 
		
		
			 2000–01 Comparisons of Motoring Taxation Costs Across Europe—report by Colin Buchanan and Partners. Published on the Scotland Office website and placed in the House of Commons Library. 4,500 This report provides a breakdown of costs for Scotland and the Scottish Highlands and Islands to allow a comparison of these specific areas with other parts of the EEA. 
			 2000–01 Scotland Office Charter Published on the Scotland Office website and printed copies are available on request. 125 Sets out the Department's commitment to providing high quality and efficient services in line with the Service First Initiative. 
			 2000–01 Scotland Office Winter Supplementary Estimate Presented to Parliament by command of Her Majesty. 2,200 This is the official request to parliament for additional resources. 
			 2001–02 Friends of Scotland Copies circulated to a wide range of individuals and groups 4,171 To publicise the Friends of Scotland Initiative which seeks to promote the image of a modern, outward-looking Scotland and harness the goodwill that exists towards Scotland. 
			 2001–02 The Size of the Scottish Parliament—A Consultation MPs and MEPs for Scottish constituencies. MSPs, the Scottish Executive, the Electoral Commission, DTLR and groups representing civic Scotland. Also available on the department's website 1,007 To consult as widely as possible on whether the number of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament should be reduced in line with the current provisions of the Scotland Act, or whether the link between Westminster and Holyrood constituencies should be broken.

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
	Accountancy services to the Department are provided by the Scottish Executive, as required, and detailed costs are not available. The Scotland Office has not used external accountancy services.

Mobile Telephones

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Helen Liddell: The information is not held in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Entertainment Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by her Department and how much reclaimed.

Helen Liddell: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Events

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by her Department and which took place on non-Departmental premises in each of the last four years giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each.

Helen Liddell: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment has been made of the effect of the Working Time Directive on her Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps she is taking to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: The standard terms and conditions of service for staff in the Scotland Office fall within the limits set by the working time regulations. At present I have no staff who have opted to sign a waiver disapplying the 48 hour limit. Persistent working in excess of 48 hours per week would be discouraged and my Department advocates flexible working patterns in line with the Government's work-life balance policies.

Fair Trade

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to her answer of 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 407W, on fair trade goods, if she will review during Fair Trade Fortnight the amount of fairly traded goods used in her Department.

Helen Liddell: My Department did not participate directly in Fair Trade Fortnight. The Government are contributing through the Department for International Development, which is providing £120,000 to the Fair Trade Foundation over three years (2001–2003) in support of its efforts to target new groups through its annual Fair Trade Fortnight campaigns. When the opportunity arises, fair trade goods are used.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Third World

Irene Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action the Government are taking to help eradicate (a) debt and (b) child poverty in the third world.

Clare Short: The UK has played a major role in tackling the unsustainable debt burden of the poorest countries. We led the way in securing the revision of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which was agreed in September 1999. Up to US$100 billion debt could be written off for the 42 HIPC countries. So far, 26 countries have qualified for this exceptional relief. These countries will receive more than US$60 billion worth of debt relief, reducing their debts by more than two-thirds on average. We hope that more countries will qualify for debt relief but substantial further progress will be difficult, as many of the remaining HIPC countries are either affected by conflict or have severe governance problems.
	The UK goes further than is required under the HIPC Initiative and provides 100 per cent. relief on its bilateral debts to countries once they qualify, and holds any debt repayments 'in trust' in the meantime. The Government have already cancelled their aid debts to all the poorest countries, not just HIPC. The UK is also the second largest contributor (US$306 million) to the HIPC Trust Fund to help international financial institutions meet their share of HIPC costs.
	We seek to reduce the poverty of children, which causes suffering to today's children and jeopardises the well-being of future generations, by working to address the cause of poverty and deprivation in the families and communities in which they live. Support for children's rights to basic health care, education, nutrition, shelter, protection from violence and abusive labour, along with sustainable livelihoods for their parents, is central to our work towards the millennium development goals.
	We are working to energise the international system to achieve the goals. The goals include the target of, by 2015, lifting 1 billion people out of abject poverty, universal primary schooling, and reducing under-five child mortality by two thirds.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Irene Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action the Government are taking to persuade the World bank to change loans to heavily indebted poorer countries to grants.

Clare Short: We are firmly opposed to any suggestion that World bank highly concessional loans should be converted to grants. The International Development Association (IDA) of the World bank provides very concessional loans which are paid back over 40 years with a 10 year grace period and low service charge. Such loans are highly effective in helping countries to reduce poverty and are complemented by grant resources provided by other agencies. Any move to change IDA loans to grants would undermine the effectiveness of IDA and its future financial integrity.

Pakistan

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial aid her Department has provided to Pakistan in the current financial year; and what she plans to allocate in the next financial year.

Clare Short: By the end of the financial year, 31 March 2002, my Department will have provided £20 million of budget support to Pakistan. Next year, I plan to allocate £40 million. This is a slight change from the planned disbursement I announced to Parliament last December, and reflects the pattern of resource availability in my Department. Our overall commitment to provide £105 million financial aid over three years remains unchanged.

Iraq

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department is in a position to make an assessment about the likely humanitarian impact of military action against Iraq before any military action is taken; and if she will make such a study prior to military action.

Clare Short: No decisions have been taken on any military action against Iraq.

Iraq

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which organisations have provided her Department with reports on the current humanitarian situation inside Iraq.

Hilary Benn: DFID has access to reports on the current humanitarian situation from a number of agencies working in both northern and central/southern Iraq. These include the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), as well as a number of NGOs.

Cluster Bombs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 13 March 2002 ref. 40655 on cluster bombs, what estimates she has received from UNMAS on the number of (a) cluster bombs used and (b) unexploded bomblets located at the sites where cluster bombs were used in Afghanistan.

Clare Short: UNMAS estimate that 1,152 Cluster Bomb Units have been used in Afghanistan. (b) UNMAS estimate that there are up to 14,000 unexploded bomblets as a result. The accuracy of this estimate cannot be confirmed until more clearance work is undertaken and/or actual weapons used and target information is received from the Coalition.

Mine Clearance

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the organisations to which the Government have given money for the purposes of mine clearance in 2001–02, specifying the amount given in each case.

Clare Short: The table gives the figures requested.
	
		Estimated final outturn 2001–02
		
			 Organisation £ 
		
		
			 The HALO Trust (bilateral) 1,150,000 
			 Mines Advisory Group (MAG) (bilateral) 1,000,000 
			 United Nations Mine Action Service (UNIMAS) 5,000,000 
			 UNICEF (Mines Awareness) 500,000 
			 International Trust Fund for De-mining—Bosnia 500,000 
			 Organisation of American States (Nicaragua de-mining) 189,000 
			 BACTEC de-mining (Kosovo) 15,000 
			 DSL (Kosovo) 750,000 
			 ELS (Kosovo) 22,000 
			 QinetiQ 100,000 
			 UNDP 2,100,000 
			 Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian De-mining (GICHD) 1,000,000 
			 Cranfield Mine Action 221,000 
			 Landmine Monitor 30,000 
			 DISARMCO (Research and Development) 61,000 
			 ERA (Research and Development) 117,000 
			  12,605,000

Mine Clearance

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what Government expenditure was on humanitarian mine clearance in 2001–02, broken down by country.

Clare Short: Estimated Government expenditure for 2001–02 on mine action programmes by country is indicated in the following table:
	
		
			 Country Amount (£) 
		
		
			 Afghanistan 3,150,000 
			 Eritrea 694,540 
			 Nicaragua 189,000 
			 Cambodia 1,000,000 
			 Northern Iraq 206,137 
			 Jordan 197,402 
			 Laos 300,000 
			 Georgia 500,000 
			 Bosnia 500,000 
			 Croatia 326,529 
			 Kosovo 2,000,000 
			 Global contribution to UNMAS and UNDP 2,600,000

Mine Clearance

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by the Government on (a) humanitarian mine clearance, (b) commercial mine clearance, (d) military initiative mine clearance, (d) mine awareness, (e) victim assistance and (f) research and development for mine clearance in 2001–02.

Clare Short: Estimated disbursements for 2001–02 are as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  2001–02 
		
		
			 (1) Humanitarian Mine Clearance (3)10.2 
			 (2) Mines Awareness 0.5 
			 (3) Research and Development 1.3 
		
	
	(3) Also includes some integrated mine awareness activities. As programmes are often integrated separate costs of awareness are not available. Specific mine awareness activities are undertaken with UNICEF as shown at item two.

United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government (a) have taken and (b) plans to take to respond to the Action Plan of the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.

Clare Short: The Government are working to implement the action plan of the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in a variety of ways both through out bilateral programmes and our multilateral work. Over the past four years, we have increased the proportion of aid allocated to least developed countries, as a proportion of our bilateral country resources, from 33 per cent. to 45 per cent.
	We are supporting the Commonwealth Secretariat's Trade and Investment Access Facility to deliver a range of activities designed to strengthen the capacity of least developed Commonwealth countries to address trade issues. We also continue to work with multilateral organisations including the United Nations and the European Commission to ensure that the momentum generated by the third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, on key issues such as trade, aid untying and financial issues is maintained in follow-on international conferences. These include the current Financing for Development conference in Monterey (18–22 March) and the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
	We consider it important to see the third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries as part of an on-going process of developing a partnership for poverty eradication between developing countries, including least developed countries, and the international community. We will therefore continue to work with our partners to build on the positive achievements made on recent initiatives such as the European Union's "Everything But Arms" agreement and the Development Assistance Committee's recommendations on untying, both of which were strongly supported by the UK, to ensure that least developed countries can achieve sustained economic growth and development.

St. Helena

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Government of St. Helena; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development has had no recent discussions with the Government of St. Helena. DFID officials do have regular contact and last met members of St. Helena's Executive and Legislative Council earlier this month during their visit to the UK to discuss air access.

St. Helena

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid was given to St. Helena in each of the last six years for which figures are available.

Clare Short: Expenditure figures for UK development assistance to St. Helena in each of the last six years for which figures are available were:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Total DFID programme 
		
		
			 1995–96 9,267 
			 1996–97 7,990 
			 1997–98 8,765 
			 1998–99 8,805 
			 1999–2000 9,362 
			 2000–01 10,116

St. Helena

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on progress towards the construction of an airfield on St. Helena.

Clare Short: A "Comparative Study of Air and Sea Access" was published last July. A copy of the report was placed in the House of Commons Library. It identified various options, which have since been under consideration by the St. Helena Government. As part of that process, the views of the islanders have been sought. The outcome has been a majority preference in favour of possible air access in future, as an alternative to replacing St. Helena's dedicated passenger and supply ship. Island representatives have recently visited the UK to discuss air access and will be reporting their discussions to the St. Helena Government at the beginning of April.

Territorial Forces

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of staff of her Department are members of the Territorial forces; and if she has a strategy to encourage members of staff to become members of the Territorial forces.

Hilary Benn: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We have no particular plans to encourage members of staff to become members of the Territorial forces.

Justices of the Peace

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of staff at her Department are Justices of the Peace; and if she has a strategy for her Department to encourage members of staff to become Justices of the Peace.

Hilary Benn: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We have no particular plans to encourage members of staff to become Justices of the Peace.

Staff (Locally Elected Representatives)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of staff at her Department are locally elected democratic representatives; and if she has a strategy for her Department to encourage members of staff to become locally elected democratic representatives.

Hilary Benn: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We have no particular plans to encourage members of staff to become locally elected democratic representatives.

Tanzania

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she was informed of the application for an export licence for the sale of an air defence system to Tanzania.

Clare Short: pursuant to her reply, 8 March 2002, c.684W
	I apologise for the error contained in my reply. The answer should have read:
	The applications were first drawn to my attention in October 2000, not October 2001.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Ethnic Community Religious Groups

Tom Cox: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions he has had with the Church Commissioners about possible financial assistance to ethnic community religious groups in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: My hon. Friend will know from my answer of 30 November 2001 that in 2000—the latest year for which audited figures are available—the Commissioners made available £160 million to support the work of the Church of England, including a share to support the stipends of the serving ministry, targeted particularly on areas of need and opportunity. Within the Church of England there are many parishes with ethnic community religious groups that the Church seeks to serve.
	The Church of England cultivates its connection with minority faith communities through its Inter Faith Concerns Group and has also contributed financially to the work of the Inner Cities Religious Council.
	The Commissioners do not have a remit for Wales.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Courts Martial

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are serving prison sentences imposed by courts martial; and which prisons they are held in.

Beverley Hughes: Provisional data show that on 31 January 2002 27 prisoners were serving prison sentences imposed by courts martial.
	
		Prisoners sentenced by courts martial
		
			 Prison name Male Female 
		
		
			 Acklington 1 — 
			 Aylesbury 1 — 
			 Blundestone 3 — 
			 Chelmsford 2 — 
			 Deerbolt 1 — 
			 Drake Hall — 1 
			 Guys Marsh 2 — 
			 High point — 1 
			 Hollesley Bay 1 — 
			 Holme House 1 — 
			 Kirklevington 1 — 
			 North Sea Camp 1 — 
			 Stocken 1 — 
			 Stoke Heath 1 — 
			 Wakefield 1 — 
			 Wayland 3 — 
			 Wealstun 2 — 
			 Wymott 3 —

Entitlement Cards

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work on development of an entitlement card, other than for asylum seekers, is being conducted in his Department; and what measures have been adopted to co-ordinate this work with the Department of Social Security.

David Blunkett: holding answer 7 March 2002
	A small unit has been established in my Department to draft the consultation paper which I announced on 5 February 2002 and to manage the consultation exercise. Some of the detailed work on how a scheme might operate is being undertaken in partnership by the United Kingdom Passport Service and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
	My officials are working closely with colleagues in a number of Government Departments including the Department for Work and Pensions which is represented on a group of senior officials chaired by the Cabinet Office which has overseen the work at official level.

Fees

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which fees his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies collect; how much has been raised or is anticipated will be raised from each of these fees from 1998–99 to 2004–05; which of these fees count as negative expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The fees collected by the Home Department are summarised in the table. All of the fees are classified as negative expenditure within the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), unless otherwise shown.
	
		£000 
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Animal licence fees 960 943 1,058 1,061 1,518 1,844 2,029 
			 Animal licence fees Consolidated Fund Extra Receipts (CFER)— not negative DEL 1,440 1,415 1,587 1,591 2,277 2,767 3,043 
			 Passport fees 57,000 88,053 123,287 119,900 131,000 135,200 140,500 
			 Passport fees (CFER)—not negative DEL 32,000 18,000 11,000 17,000 28,000 45,000 45,000 
			 Drugs licence fees 494 555 558 512 512 512 512 
			 Subject access office fees 890 1,228 1,599 1,952 2,000 2,000 2,000 
			 Receipts from non-statutory inspections 169 134 73 63 173 173 173 
			 Training course Fees (including Crime Reduction College) 1,984 2,203 1,870 5,259 5,259 5,259 5,259 
			 Police National Computer fees 0 0 17,774 17,774 18,550 18,550 18,550 
			 Firearms licences for museums CFER—not negative DEL 4 147 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Criminal Records Bureau fees 0 0 0 3,392 63,249 77,245 117,276 
			 Citizenship fees 6,408 6,419 9,580 13,812 15,408 17,813 19,013 
			 Right of abode fees 57 63 105 120 87 87 87 
			 Travel document fees 0 338 2,031 2,387 2,387 2,387 2,387 
			 Immigration Service Commissioner fees 0 0 0 277 250 250 240

Retail Crime

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what support his Department has given to the British Retail Consortium to (a) establish and (b) manage retail crime partnership; and what contribution his Department makes to the British Retail Consortium annual retail crime survey for England and Wales;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the number of meetings he has had with representatives of the retail industry to discuss retail crime prevention in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what studies have been made of the effects of retail crime partnerships on crime reduction; and if he will publish a list of the locations of retail crime partnerships in the UK.

John Denham: My hon. Friend (Mr. Ainsworth) addressed the launch of the British Retail Consortium annual crime survey on 27 June 2001. I also visited a number of retailers in the St. Leonards areas of Hastings on 6 February 2002 when the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme was launched.
	Home Office officials are in regular contact with several retail representative bodies to discuss a range of issues, including retail crime prevention. Home Office Ministers and officials will continue to hold meetings with retail representatives such as the British Retail Consortium to ensure that their concerns are heard and understood by Government.
	My Department has supported the work undertaken to establish partnerships by funding development work by a consultant for the past two years. This has resulted in the production of a definitive guide on how to establish and run a retail crime partnership, and we have encouraged retailers and other stakeholders in main shopping centre areas to establish partnerships to tackle retail and related crime. We are aware of the following retail crime partnerships currently in existence in England and Wales and registered with Business Crime Check.
	Acocks Green Shopping Centre (SC)
	Aintree
	Andover
	Barnstaple
	Barrow
	Bath
	Bedford
	Birkenhead
	Birmingham
	Bitterne
	Blackburn
	Blackpool
	Bluewater SC
	Bognor Regis
	Bolton
	Bootle
	Boscombe
	Bournemouth
	Bradford
	Brent Cross SC
	Bridlington
	Brighton
	Bristol Broadmead
	Bromley
	Burnley
	Burton-On-Trent
	Bury St. Edmunds
	Buxton
	Caernarfon
	Cardiff
	Carlisle
	Cheltenham
	Chester
	Chesterfield
	Clacton
	Clapham
	Coventry
	Crawley
	Cribbs Causeway
	Crosby Village
	Croydon
	Darlington
	Dewsbury
	Durham
	Eastleigh
	Epsom
	Evesham
	Exeter
	Fareham
	Folkestone
	Fosse Park SC
	Gloucester
	Gravesend
	Great Yarmouth
	Grimsby/Cleethorpes
	Guildford
	Hanley
	Harbourne
	Harlow
	Hastings
	Hatfield
	Haywards Heath
	Hemel Hempstead
	Hereford
	Hexham
	Holloway
	Hounslow
	Huyton Village
	Ipswich
	Keighley
	Kendal
	Kensington, Liverpool
	Kettering
	Kidderminster
	Kirby
	Leamington Spa
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lewisham
	Lincoln
	Liscard SC
	Littlehampton
	Liverpool
	Llandudno
	Lowestoft
	Luton
	Lymington
	Maidenhead
	Maidstone
	Manchester
	Margate
	Market Watch, Liverpool
	Meadowhall SC
	Merry Hill
	Merthyr Tydfil
	Metro Centre, Newcastle
	Middlesbrough
	Milton Keynes
	Neath/Port Talbot
	Nelson
	Newbury
	Newcastle
	Newport, Isle of Wight
	Newton Abbott
	Northampton
	Norwich
	Nottingham
	Nuneaton
	Orpington
	Peterborough
	Plymouth
	Pontefract
	Portsmouth
	Prescot/Fairfield
	Preston
	Redcar
	Redditch
	Rhyl
	Richmond
	Ringwood
	Romford
	Rugby
	Rugeley
	Salisbury
	Scarborough
	Sheffield
	Shipley
	Shoreham
	Shrewsbury
	Sittingbourne
	Skegness
	Slough
	Solihull
	Southport
	Southsea
	Stevenage
	Stockport
	Stockton
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Stratford-upon-Avon
	Sutton
	Sutton in Ashfield
	Swansea
	Swindon
	Taunton
	Telford
	Trafford Centre
	Tunbridge Wells
	Uxbridge
	Wallington
	Walsall
	Waltham Cross
	Walthamstow
	Walton
	Wandsworth
	Warrington
	Watford
	Welwyn Garden City
	Westminster
	Weston-Super-Mare
	Wimborne
	Winchester
	Windsor
	Wirral
	Wolverhampton
	Wood Green
	Woolwich
	Worcester
	Workington
	Wrexham.
	There are other locations where partnerships are known to exist or are being developed but these are not registered with Business Crime Check. I am not aware of any specific studies on the effects of retail crime partnerships on crime reduction
	The annual retail crime survey carried out independently by the British Retail Consortium and my Department is not involved in its production.

Lancet Inquiry

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider referring the issues raised by the Lancet inquiry back to the Crown Prosecution Service.

John Denham: holding answer 25 February 2002
	This is a matter for Cleveland Police.

Burglar Alarms

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to co-operate with the private security industry to reduce the number of false burglar alarm call outs in England and Wales.

John Denham: The principal link for the security industry in the matter of false alarm calls is the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) through their Research and Development Committee. Home Office involvement includes an alarm technology programme which aims to define new ways in which the police service uses alarm systems to tackle burglary and volume crime. In addition, the Police Scientific Development Branch of the Home Office has published a number of papers on the subject and will carry out a study into false alarms in partnership with ACPO. This will investigate the causes of false alarms and highlight the need for best practice throughout the security industry. In the meantime Police Scientific Development Branch will continue work on alarm verification, expanding it to include all of the latest types of sensor devices and audio and imaging techniques.

Active Community Unit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are planned for the constituency of Buckingham funded by the Active Community Unit; and what target he has for involvement in volunteering of residents in the constituency.

Angela Eagle: The Active Community Unit is not currently funding any projects based in the constituency of Buckingham. However the Unit funds a wide range of national voluntary and community sector organisations which benefit every area of England.
	The Active Community Unit aims to achieve a step change in people's voluntary involvement in their communities. We want to encourage and enable more people to volunteer. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister (Mr. Blair) has laid down a challenge to one million more people getting involved in their communities, and the Home Office is committed to making significant progress towards this goal by 2004. This figure is not broken down by constituency.

Criminal Records Bureau

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rent will be paid for the premises of the Criminal Records Bureau in Shannon Court, Liverpool

John Denham: holding answer 10 December 2001
	I understand that the rent payable by Capita, the private sector partner in the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) programme, for the Shannon court premises is £1,015,000.

Prison Service

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Prison Service will implement the recommendations of the Independent Review Body concerning pay for operational managers, prison officers and related grades.

Beverley Hughes: The report of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) on the pay of governing governors and operational managers, prison officers and related grades in England and Wales in 2002 was published on 30 January 2002 and copies placed in the Library.
	The PSPRB has recommended a basic rise of 6 per cent. over a 15 month period. This is a significant award which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) has decided will be implemented in full. The locality allowances to Prison Service staff in eligible areas in London and the south-east will be increased immediately by the full amount recommended, with effect from 1 January 2002. The general award will be paid in two steps, 3.5 per cent. backdated to 1 January 2002; the remainder in January 2003.
	The key recommendations are:
	a 6 per cent. increase to basic pay rates over the 15 month period covered by the report;
	rates of local pay allowance paid to staff in London and parts of the south-east will be increased with effect from 1 January 2002 by:
	£500 to £3,500 per annum for the top rate
	£400 to £2,300 per annum for the middle rate
	£200 to £1,000 per annum for the lower rate.
	Current arrangements for the performance pay of operational managers will remain unchanged. Various special allowances will be raised in line with the basic award.

Prison Population

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal with the rise in the prison population.

Beverley Hughes: The Halliday review of the sentencing framework has given us a unique opportunity to examine what we should do to prevent, tackle and punish offending behaviour. The recent rise in the prison population suggests that sentences are not currently being targeted as effectively as they could be. Prisons are focusing on housing more and more prisoners for whom it is not demonstrably the right option. The Government is currently considering how to take the sentencing reforms forward with a view to publishing our conclusions in a White Paper to be published in the Spring. Whatever the population pressures, the Government is uncompromising in its response to serious and dangerous offenders. Where there is a need to protect the public, this should take place in a secure environment. Communities must be protected from such offenders.
	As part of this I am very keen to look imaginatively at alternatives to full time custody, and in particular would like to explore options for piloting intermittent custody and introducing a new suspended sentence (custody minus). These sentences, alongside the tougher and more flexible community sentences we already have, as well as those being proposed, will give sentencers the confidence to explore alternatives to short custodial sentences. Easing pressure on the shorter-term population will enable the Prison Service to focus on providing longer term prisoners with the regimes, training and programmes they need to correct their offending behaviour.
	Home detention curfew (HDC) is a key resettlement tool which gives us the opportunity to monitor an offender during their transition back into the community. It is also a useful tool in helping us manage the prison population by reducing over-crowding at the same time as improving the resettlement and rehabilitation opportunities for less serious offenders. From the beginning of May prisoners serving sentences of between three months and under 12 months, with the exception of those convicted of violent or drugs offences within the previous three years, and prisoners who have any history of sexual offending, will be released on home detention curfew for the latter part of their sentence unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. All offenders not statutorily excluded will be subject to a risk assessment and released on HDC only where it is safe to do so. Under the HDC scheme released prisoners serve the remainder of their custody period at home under electronic curfew usually from 7pm to 7am. At any one time we expect that this measure will remove up to 1,350 prisoners from prison accommodation, in addition to the 1,800 who are already on the scheme. The impact of these arrangements and any further extensions of the HDC scheme will be kept under close review.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Lloyds Syndicate 962 D. J. Pye is acting for the Home Office in relation to a claim for compensation for damage following the incidents at Yarl's Wood Remand Centre on 14 and 15 February.

Angela Eagle: Insurance in respect of the Yarl's Wood Removal Centre and any claims arising from it is the responsibility of Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd. in accordance with the contract for the management and operation of the centre. The insurance provisions are in the joint name of the Home Office and the contractor.

Bedfordshire Police Authority

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure the Bedfordshire Police Authority will not suffer a loss to its budget in the event of a successful claim against it by loss adjusters.

John Denham: Any claim would be against the Bedfordshire Police Authority. Whether the authority is liable for compensation will depend on the circumstances. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made the Government's position clear in respect of any claims against the Bedfordshire police by the insurers for compensation in his statement of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 445 and at columns 450–51. We will work with the police to protect their interests and those of the people they serve in Bedfordshire.

Police Complaints

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if an investigator independent of the Metropolitan police has been appointed to investigate complaints by members of the public against officers below the rank of commander in Operation Helios;
	(2)  what complaints by (a) members of the public and (b) others against police officers involved in the Operation Helios investigation of (i) Superintendent Ali Dizaei and (ii) Chief Inspector Leroy Logan have been recorded in accordance with police discipline regulations;
	(3)  how many police officers involved in Operation Helios have formally been given regulation 9 notices specifying the nature of complaints against them.

John Denham: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that, in light of the on-going proceedings involving Superintendent Ali Dizaei, the views of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have been sought. The issue of complaints will be a matter for consideration in the disclosure process within the criminal proceedings.
	As the relevance and admissibility of these matters may well be an issue at the trial it is the view of the CPS, which has been accepted by the Commissioner, that to disclose information at this time would risk possible prejudice to the trial process.

Private Medical Insurance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 57W, on private medical insurance, what plans (a) Norfolk, (b) Thames Valley, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) Bedfordshire police authorities have to make private medical insurance available to their staff; what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on police officer availability of such plans; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: holding answer 28 February 2002
	None of these police forces make private medical insurance available to police officers and support staff.
	We are currently developing an occupational health strategy for the police service which will encourage measures which will help to reduce sickness absence rates and increase police officer availability.

Best Value

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what police forces are the subject of best value assessments.

John Denham: holding answer 28 February 2002
	All police authorities in England and Wales are defined as best value authorities under the Local Government Act 1999. This requires them to secure continuous improvement in the way their functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

Police Community Consultative Groups

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what guidelines he has issued on the appointment of chairmen of police community consultative groups;
	(2)  how many chairmen of police community consultative groups (a) are and (b) are planned to be nominated from (i) the relevant police authority and (ii) non-police members of PCCGs.

John Denham: holding answer 28 February 2002
	Section 96 of the Police Act 1996 places a duty on police authorities to make arrangements for obtaining views of people in the force area about matters concerning the policing of the area.
	The Act does not specify that this duty should be fulfilled through the establishment of police/community consultative groups which have no formal status set out in statute, and whose constitution and membership is not governed by any binding directives or guidance. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) has issued no specific guidelines on the way in which the chairs of any such groups should be appointed. Information about them is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	In its report published in December 2001, the Community Cohesion Review Team, chaired by Ted Cantle and set up following the disturbances in the north of England last summer, recommended that a good practice guide to community consultation should be developed, and that work is being taken forward.

Sexual Abuse Investigations

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the definition is of trawling, in relation to sex abuse cases; and what research has been done by the HMIC to ascertain the effectiveness of the trawling process.

John Denham: I refer to a letter sent by my predecessor (Mr. Clarke) in February of last year which addressed this subject.
	The term "trawling" has been used by critics of the police to describe the process by which police investigations into serious allegations of historical sexual abuse in children's homes and other institutions trace potential witnesses. As such, it is not for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to provide a definition of a term he considers unhelpful and pejorative and is not normally used by the police.
	The process referred to by the term is an investigative method which involves sampling from an often long list of potential witnesses who may have information that can be used to corroborate or rebut an allegation of sexual abuse which may have taken place a considerable time beforehand. Due to the very complex nature of these investigations, witness evidence is often paramount due to the lack of forensic and other evidence after the passage of time since the alleged offences.
	The Code of Practice issued under Part II of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 sets out general responsibilities for officers conducting investigations into allegations that a crime has been committed. Under the code, police officers conducting an investigation should pursue all reasonable lines of inquiry, whether these point towards or away from the suspect. The practice referred to is established practice as the best use of police resources in eliciting information to assist an investigation.
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) undertook a thematic inspection into child protection in 1999 and is currently taking a major part in an inspection of safeguards for children's welfare led by the Social Services Inspectorate. HMIC also routinely conduct detailed force inspections, which include arrangements for child abuse and major crime investigations. None of these has, thus far, thrown doubt over the quality of investigation into institutional child abuse allegations; nor has any evidence to support concerns into the sampling of historic institutional child abuse allegations been brought to the attention of HMIC or the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many court cases have been determined without a jury since the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 came into force.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Information relating to the outcome of cases under the Act began to be collated centrally from 1 January 2002. Information about cases completed in 2002 will not be published until the autumn of next year.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is available to probation areas on changing their domestic violence services from established perpetrator programmes with central partner support services in favour of the Duluth Pathfinder.

Beverley Hughes: Until a nationally accredited programme is available we will not be advising areas to change to a centrally determined programme.

Crime Statistics

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were recorded by each police authority in England and Wales in each category of crime for each year since 1997.

John Denham: The requested data have been published in table 2.5 in the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 editions of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales", which are available in the Library. It should be noted that there was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which expanded the offences covered, and placed a greater emphasis on counting crimes in terms of numbers of victims. Numbers of recorded crimes after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.

Road Traffic Accidents

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of emergency police call-outs in the last 12 months for which figures are available were to road traffic accidents, broken down by police authority; and what estimate he has made of the saving to police authorities which a (a) 5 per cent., (b) 10 per cent. and (c) 20 per cent. reduction in road traffic accidents represents.

John Denham: holding answer 26 February 2002
	In 2000–01 there were 668,549 calls to the police in England and Wales that related to road traffic crashes. These accounted for 3.8 per cent. of the total number of nearly 17.5 millions calls. Data are not available by police force area, and there is no central record of the number of traffic incidents attended by the police as the result of calls or of how many police attended on any occasion.
	The latest information on the value of road accident prevention is given in "Highways Economics Note No 1", published by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, in October 2001. This estimates that the total reduction in police costs if all road traffic accidents in 2000 could have been prevented would have been approximately £30 million.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Press Office

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what this year's budget is for his Department's (a) press office and (b) Directorate of Communication;
	(2)  what the establishment level is of his Department's press office; and for how many months that level has been achieved since June 2001;
	(3)  how many staff there are within his Department's press office.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Resource allocations for 2001–2002 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
		
		
			 (a) Press Office 2,487 
			 (b) Directorate of Communication 5.842 
		
	
	Within these resource allocations, the press office has an indicative establishment provision for 35 posts. Since June 2001, the press office has averaged 4.5 vacant posts per month.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 220W.

Press Office

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the vacancies in his Department's press office.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 4 March 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given above to questions 41997, 41989, and 41990.

International Travel

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much his Department spent on international travel in 2000–01.

Alan Whitehead: My Department spent £1,868,846 on international travel from April 2000 to end of March 2001.

Communications Costs

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the annual budget for communications activities, including press, public relations, marketing and internal communications, was for his Department for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02.

Alan Whitehead: Annual expenditure in the years requested was as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Director of Communication administration expenditure(4) Departmental external publicity and marketing expenditure Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 6.3 12.5 18.8 
			 1998–99 7.0 11.2 18.2 
			 1999–2000 6.5 20.4 26.9 
			 2000–01 6.3 25.7 32.0 
			 2001–02(5) 5.8 20.2 26.0 
		
	
	(4) Excluding external publicity
	(5) Latest forecast

Passenger Cars

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's proposal to consult on piloting a comparative, colour-coded label for passenger cars.

David Jamieson: I have today published a consultation paper on piloting a comparative label for passenger cars. The consultation sets out the Government's proposals on a possible new form of label, which would be based on the environmental performance categories used in the Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty system. We believe this would make an effective label, consistent with and reinforced by the environmental message given through the new taxation regimes. The proposal at this stage is to begin piloting a comparative label later this year, with a view to making any further decision following that pilot. Any proposal to make the label mandatory, would be subject to further consultation. I have placed copies of the consultation document in the Library.

Access to Information

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to amend the rules regulating the provision of access to information by local authorities.

Nick Raynsford: I have today laid before the House two statutory instruments: the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Amendment Regulations 2002 and the Local Authorities (Access to Meetings and Documents) (Period of Notice) (England) Order 2002.
	Our aim in modernising local government is to make local decision-making more accountable. We have listened very carefully to the responses we received to the consultation on access to information in local government which we launched in April 2001. We believe it is right that local people should have earlier warning of the important decisions that local authorities take and of the meetings where these decisions take place. In line with this the statutory instruments will have the effect of increasing the notice period authorities have to give of such decisions or such meetings from three to five days.
	This reform will encourage greater participation by local people in the democratic process. Decisions that local authorities take will benefit from the transparency that public debate brings. Decision-making will be brought closer to those affected by those decisions.
	Our consultation also asked views on two other issues—proposals to revise the definition of "exempt" information given by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and the framing of guidance on financial thresholds for key executive decisions.
	We currently have no plans to make changes to the definition of exempt information, but we will consult further in the planned review of the access to information regime, planned for summer 2002.
	We announced in the local government White Paper, "Strong Local Leadership Quality Public Services", published in December 2001, that local authorities were best placed to define what constitutes a key decision.

Rail Strikes (Disabled People)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he has taken to ensure full access of people with disabilities to transport facilities during industrial action by staff of train operators.

David Jamieson: holding answer 11 March 2002
	On 6 February the Strategic Rail Authority published its revised Code of Practice, "Train and Station Services for Disabled Passengers". All licensed operators on the national rail network are required to review their Disabled Peoples Protection Policies to reflect the revised code. The code requires that any buses or other substitute transport arranged on a pre-planned basis must be accessible to disabled people and the SRA will expect that to be reflected in the revised policies which the operators put forward for approval.

Railways

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the public sector administration cost associated with the rail sector was in each of the last five years.

Stephen Byers: The table shows the gross administration costs of the railways related public sector bodies and the total staff costs of the British Railways Board (BRB) over each of the last five years.
	On 1 February 2001 the SRA legally assumed all the functions of OPRAF, most of the residual functions of the BRB and some functions of the DTLR railways directorate and of the ORR. The SRA administration figure includes staff costs for the British Transport Police that were previously paid by the BRB and for the Rail Passenger Councils that were previously paid by the ORR.
	
		£ million 
		
			  1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Gross administration costs  
			 DTLR (railways directorate) 2.1 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.7 
			 Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF)(6) 8 7 8 11 14 
			 Strategic Rail Authority (SRA)(7) — — — — 15 
			 Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) 8 8 8 12 13 
			   
			 Total staff costs  
			 British Railways Board(6) 762 102 85 77 69 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The 2000–01 figures for OPRAF and BRB cover the 10 months to 31 January 2001.
	2. Staff costs for the two months to 31 March 2001. Taken from table 4, page 92 of the SRA annual report 2000–01.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he or his Department have had with the Rail Regulator on the structure and funding of the successor company to Railtrack in administration.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The successor for Railtrack is a matter for the administrator. Bidders need to put forward their proposals on structure and funding to him.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what powers Railtrack plc has while in administration, to be involved in any bid for another company, or part of another company;
	(2)  while it remains in administration, under what powers money could be provided to Railtrack plc by (a) the Secretary of State, (b) the Office of the Rail Regulator, (c) the Strategic Rail Authority or (d) other financier, for the purchase of another company or part of another company including Global Crossing UK.

Stephen Byers: Copies of the loan agreement were placed in the House Library on 17 October 2001. The loan provides sufficient funding to continue on a 'business as usual' basis during the administration period, before the loan is replaced through commercial debt. Under the terms of the loan agreement, Railtrack plc cannot enter into any contract or obligation requiring expenditure or the undertaking of a liability in excess of £10 million without my prior written consent.
	The Rail Regulator has no power to provide funding to Railtrack plc for the purchase of assets outside of the regulatory framework.
	Section 211 of the Transport Act 2000 provides powers for the Strategic Rail Authority to provide financial assistance to secure the provision of railways services or assets. This function must only be exercised in the manner outlined in section 207 of the Act.
	Finance raised through other sources is a matter for the administrator.

Railtrack

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that companies bidding for Railtrack pay equal bid costs.

David Jamieson: This is a matter for the respective bidders.

Railtrack

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how he will ensure that Ernst and Young obtain the best deal for Railtrack shareholders.

David Jamieson: This is a matter for the administrator.

Railtrack

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that private companies have an equal opportunity to bid for Railtrack.

David Jamieson: The bidding process is a matter for the administrator. For its part, the Government have taken steps to ensure both that all potential bidders are aware of the principal issues my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State would consider in exercising his powers in respect of any transfer scheme proposed by the administrator and that the bid based on the concept of a company limited by guarantee is not unfairly advantaged in terms of access to information from Government.
	Details were given in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedlin (Mr. Coaker) on 31 October 2001, Official Report, columns 669–71W and in my reply to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Mr. Grayling) on 25 February 2002, Official Report, columns 790–91W.

Railtrack

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who is paying the bidding costs of the company limited by guarantee for Railtrack.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Mr. Grayling) on 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 214W.

Global Crossing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what representations he has received from Railtrack plc or its administrators with regards to the possible purchase of the whole of Global Crossing UK or part of it by (a) Railtrack plc on its own, (b) a bid involving Railtrack plc or (c) other companies or bodies;
	(2)  what assessment he has made as to the possibility of establishing a special purchase vehicle for the purpose of purchasing, or being involved in any purchase of, Global Crossing UK or part of it; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what powers the SRA has to purchase or be involved in the purchase of Global Crossing UK or part of it; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what representations he has received from the Health and Safety Executive with regard to the possible purchase of Global Crossing UK, or any part of it, by (a) Railtrack plc (b) the SRA and (c) other company, either on their own or as part of a joint bid;
	(5)  what assessment he has made as to the possibility of Railtrack plc, while in administration, purchasing or being involved in the purchase of Global Crossing UK or part of it; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what representations he has received from SRA with regards to the possible purchase of the whole or part of Global Crossing UK by (a) the SRA on its own, (b) a bid involving the SRA or (c) other companies or bodies.

Stephen Byers: No representations have been received from the Health and Safety Executive, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), or Railtrack or its administrators on this subject. I have not made any assessment of either the use of a special purpose vehicle for purchasing any part of Global Crossing UK or of Railtrack in administration doing so. Section 211 of the Transport Act 2000 sets out the SRA's powers in relation to the provision of railway services and assets.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the current IT system was implemented into the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

David Jamieson: The current Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) IT system was implemented in June 2000.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason there is not a central database of Maritime and Coastguard Agency registered vessels in the UK.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has a central database of vessels registered in the UK. It is managed by the agency's Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS) in Cardiff and is one of the oldest and most prestigious shipping registers in the world.
	The agency is implementing an information integration programme that will allow staff to view, simultaneously, related information about UK registered vessels from other sources as well as the RSS, making more effective use of the information at the agency's disposal.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how long it has taken to install the current IT system into the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

David Jamieson: The current Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) IT system was installed during May and June 2000.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost was of implementing the most recent IT system into the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and which outside organisations advised its implementation and helped introduce the system.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) current IT system was procured using Government competitive tendering procedures. A five- year contract was awarded to BT at a total cost of approximately £2.8 million. BT advised on installation and the introduction of the system.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many non-UK owned, UK registered vessels were inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each of the last five years; from which countries they came; and what categories of vessels were inspected.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) database for recording ship inspections does not have sufficiently comprehensive details on vessel ownership to provide this information.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many vessels are registered with each Maritime and Coastguard Agency office in the UK.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) manages the UK Shipping Register at its Register of Shipping and Seamen (RSS) office in Cardiff. The Register is being computerised in a process that will continue into 2003. The number of merchant and fishing vessels recorded on the Register at the end of February 2002 was:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Merchant(6) 3,789 
			 Fishing(6) 7,059 
		
	
	(6) Vessels

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what systems are in place for port authorities to provide the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with information concerning vessels entering each port in the UK.

David Jamieson: A variety of arrangements are place for each Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Marine Office to obtain information from port authorities on vessels entering each port in the UK. The Agency is working with port authorities to ensure that information received is timely and consistent.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to implement the proposals outlined in the 19 report from the Committee on Public Accounts on Ship Surveys and Inspections (HC608), that inspectors check of all areas of ships inspected; and what plans he has to install all the data concerning vessel inspections into a central database.

David Jamieson: My Department and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are actively considering the recommendations set out in the Committee's 19th Report and will prepare a formal response in accordance with the usual procedures and timetables.

Multi-modal Studies

Lorna Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has considered the recommendations of the North West Regional Assembly following completion of the South East Manchester Multi Modal Study; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: I have today written to the Leader of the North West Regional Assembly and a copy of this letter has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The South East Manchester Multi Modal Study was commissioned by the Government as part of their 10-year Plan for Transport. The study looked at ways to improve all forms of transport in the area to reduce congestion, make roads safer and modernise public transport services.
	I have today written to the North West Regional Assembly and agreed to:
	the provisional acceptance of the Alderley Edge bypass
	the provisional acceptance for a £35 million Quality Bus Corridor to improve bus services in South East Manchester
	provide an extra £7.445 million for Greater Manchester and £1.5 million for Cheshire to spend in 2002–03 on improvements to include:
	Improvements to bus and rail facilities
	Improved signing, management and maintenance of the road network to improve journey reliability
	More facilities for cyclists and pedestrians
	Better management of freight
	Investment to support urban regeneration
	ask the Highways Agency to draw up plans to improve the M60/M67/A57Denton interchange.
	invite the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and local authorities to continue the detailed development of other schemes, which will include:
	A6 bypass
	Poynton bypass
	A555 MALRW (Manchester Airport Link Road West)
	Possible Metrolink Extensions
	ask the Strategic Rail Authority to continue to work with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and local authorities to develop detailed assessments of the benefits of expanding the rail system and explore funding through existing mechanisms.
	invite local authorities to develop transport change proposals, including:
	A campaign to encourage the use of public transport
	A strict enforcement of Land Use Policy to promote development decisions which reduce car dependency
	Urban regeneration that maximises the attractiveness and potential of existing centres as places of employment, retail and leisure opportunities to reduce car dependency and promote social inclusion.
	An announcement on a further extension of the Metrolink System to Stockport will be made as soon as possible.
	The outputs of the study will be balanced across transport modes and across the South East Manchester area. The most deprived neighbourhoods and more affluent car owning neighbourhoods are all set to benefit from the additional transport investment involved. Improvements are designed to help reduce road congestion and accidents; increase rail use by up to 50 per cent. in peak periods and 100 per cent. off peak; increase bus use by 8 per cent. in peak periods and 30 per cent. in off peak periods and increase use of the Metrolink. I am also pleased to say that proposals for encouraging the use of public transport and improving air quality through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions have also been welcomed by environmental groups.
	I welcome the solutions proposed by the study. It is an excellent example of how multi-modal transport solutions can be devised to address complex and deep seated transport problems. We have seen that a wholly roads based solution would have added to, rather than alleviated, the long-term traffic problems in the area. Instead the study has identified a balanced strategy which will deal with congestion problems for motorists, but which does so by investing across all modes of transport and in a sustainable way.

Slot Allocations

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to review the European Union rules on slot allocation and protection; and if he will consider changing the PSO criteria to take more account of vulnerable geographically isolated rural locations.

David Jamieson: A proposal by the European Commission to amend EC Regulation 95–93 which sets out the rules for allocating airport slots was published last year. This is currently being discussed by member states. The UK Government has consulted with interested parties and is currently developing its strategy with regard to the Commission's proposals. Any changes to the rules for imposing public service obligations will need to be agreed at the European level.

Planning

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Government will be issuing a White Paper on Planning.

Sally Keeble: The consultation period for the Planning Green paper closed on Monday 18 March. To date this department has received around 13,000 representations. Following careful consideration of these responses the Government intends to make a policy statement on the planning system before the summer Parliamentary recess.

Social Landlords

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to engage social landlords in tackling antisocial behaviour.

Sally Keeble: My Department will publish a consultation paper shortly.

Council Housing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the changes to Government methodology for calculating empty or vacant council housing since 1997.

Stephen Byers: Local authorities are asked each year via annual Housing Investment Programme (HIP) returns to give the number of their own dwellings that are vacant at 1 April, whether they are within the authorities area or not. For 1 April 2001, rather than explicitly asking for their vacant dwellings outside their area, this figure was obtained by subtracting the number of their vacant dwellings in their area from the total number of their vacant dwellings.
	There have been no other changes.

Homelessness

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many households there were in bed and breakfast accommodation arranged by local authorities under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts, for each English region and for Wales, in the first quarter of 1997 and the last quarter of 2001.

Stephen Byers: Information reported by local authorities in England on the number of households accommodated in bed and breakfast hotels under statutory homelessness provisions on 31 March 1997 and 31 December 2001 is presented.
	National information on the number of households in various types of temporary accommodation, including bed and breakfast, is provided in a quarterly Statistical Release published by the Department; corresponding information at local authority and regional level is set out in associated Supplementary Tables. Copies covering recent quarters are available in the Library, and also via the Department's website. The latest editions, published on 14 March, present statistics up to the end of December 2001.
	I recently announced a new commitment to ensure that by March 2004 no family with children will be placed in B&B other than in an emergency. This was accompanied by changes in housing benefit subsidies to make leasing self-contained temporary accommodation more cost- effective, and an additional £35 million from DTLR to help local authorities find alternatives to B&B.
	
		Homeless households resident in bed and breakfast accommodation(7)
		
			   As at 31 March 1997 As at 31 December 2001 
		
		
			 North East 80 60 
			 North West 150 120 
			 Yorkshire 60 210 
			 East Midland 40 80 
			 West Midland 60 230 
			 Eastern 90 460 
			 London 2,830 8,700 
			 South East 550 1,270 
			 South West 230 990 
			 England 4,100 12,110 
		
	
	(7) Includes households accommodated pending completion of initial inquiries by the local authority, and a small number of households found to be intentionally homeless for whom accommodation has been provided for a limited period.
	Source:
	DTLR P1(E) housing activity return (quarterly)
	For corresponding information about Welsh authorities, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Homelessness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average cost of placing a family in bed and breakfast accommodation is; and what the total cost was in each of the last 10 years.

Sally Keeble: Information reported to the Department by local authorities about expenditure on accommodation provided under homelessness legislation does not identify average unit costs. Latest available information is published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in their report "Homelessness Statistics 1999–2000 Actuals". Based on information supplied by local authorities in England, the average gross weekly charge (before deduction of any rent rebate) per B&B unit during 1999–2000 was £276.92.
	Total estimated expenditure by local authorities in each of the past 10 years, based on information supplied to CIPFA, was as follows:
	
		Local authority expenditure on bed and breakfast provision: England
		
			   Gross Net 
		
		
			 1990–91 135,695,391 80,624,379 
			 1991–92 144,496,027 73,219,805 
			 1992–93 117,012,354 49,095,854 
			 1993–94 65,675,858 21,233,760 
			 1994–95 50,691,885 16,573,119 
			 1995–96 55,775,348 19,592,951 
			 1996–97 51,190,208 17,483,026 
			 1997–98 56,689,680 24,075,766 
			 1998–99 117,837,868 53,840,470 
			 1999–2000 151,651,900 70,804,741 
			 2000–01 (8)— (8)— 
		
	
	(8) Not yet available
	Notes:
	1. B&B accommodation includes privately owned or managed hotels/guest houses with some shared facilities, but excludes hotel annexes of self-contained accommodation where meals are not provided.
	2. Expenditure excludes any apportionment of central or departmental administration.
	3. Net expenditure takes into account income arising from charges to clients, and housing benefit subsidy.
	Source:
	Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
	Homelessness Statistics—"Actuals" annual reports
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced a new commitment to ensure that by March 2004 no family with children will be placed in B&B other than in an emergency. This was accompanied by changes in housing benefit subsidies to make leasing self- contained temporary accommodation more cost-effective, and an additional £35 million from DTLR to help local authorities find alternatives to B&B.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Regulatory Impact Assessment Report

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled "Better Regulation: Making Good Use of Regulatory Impact Assessments".

Christopher Leslie: Officials are continuing discussions with the National Audit Office about progressing recommendations in their report ("Better Regulation: Making Good Use of Regulatory Impact Assessments"). The Public Accounts Committee heard evidence on the National Audit Office Report on 26 November 2001. When the Public Accounts Committee's report and recommendations are published the Government will subsequently respond by Treasury Minute in the normal way.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the Public Service Agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

John Prescott: There has been only one agreed change or revision to the Cabinet Office's public service agreement targets as listed in the Cabinet Office 2001 departmental report "Cabinet Office—The Government Expenditure Plans 2001–02 to 2003–04 Cm5119".
	The service delivery agreement target number 8 which covered 'securing successful delivery of the Government's anti-drugs strategy and targets' was transferred along with UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit to the Home Office as a result of the post-election machinery of Government changes.
	A copy of "Cabinet Office—The Government Expenditure Plans 2001–02 to 2003–04 Cm5119" is held in the House of Commons Library and is available via the Cabinet Office website.
	The Cabinet Office departmental report for 2002 which will be published before the summer recess will also detail the Department's performance against its agreed public service agreement targets.

Departmental Benchmarking

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's response is to the recommendation of the NAO report on modern policy making that ongoing benchmarking of Departments should be undertaken.

Christopher Leslie: Benchmarking is a powerful tool to support performance improvement, which can be applied in a wide range of ways. One approach is to compare the performance of an organisation against an ideal, in order to identify areas for improvement. This approach has been adopted for he Departmental Change Programme, being developed by the Office of Public Services Reform in the Cabinet Office. Departments will be reviewed against a model of high performance, which includes a module on policy making, to inform he generation and implementation of an integrated change programme.

Centre for Management and Policy Studies

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff are employed in the Centre for Management and Policy Studies; what their roles are; and what liaison they undertake with other Departments.

Christopher Leslie: 366 staff are employed in the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS). This figure includes 261 staff from the Civil Service College which ceased to be an executive agency on 1 April 2000 and now is a directorate of CMPS.
	The staff in CMPS work with other units in the Cabinet Office and Departments to help government to learn better, ensure that the civil service is cultivating the right skills and culture for effective delivery, and promote new ways of developing and delivering policy through the sharing of knowledge and evidence from here and abroad.
	CMPS is also the largest single provider of open training programmes for Government.

Energy Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on energy costs incurred by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Christopher Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Alun Michael) on 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 268W.

Legal Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in each of the last four years.

John Prescott: Estimated legal costs incurred by the Department over the last four years can be broken down as follows.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 43 
			 1998–99 53 
			 1999–2000 69 
			 2000–01 (9)173 
		
	
	(9) This includes expenditure of £111,500 incurred for residual HMSO liabilities, Security Facilities Division restructuring costs and Cross Cutting CMF—contractual work for the Government 'Gateway' project.

Catering Services

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by his Department in each of the last four years.

Christopher Leslie: For the financial year 2001–02, Eurest (formally known as Sutcliffe Catering) provide departmental in-house canteen services at an estimated cost of £161,000. In-house canteen costs for previous financial years are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The expenditure figure of £161,000 does not include expenditure undertaken by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies, the Government Office for the Regions and the Central Office of Information as this information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

European Union Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to his Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each.

John Prescott: The Women and Equality Unit in the Cabinet Office has been responsible for implementing the Burden of Proof Directive (EC Directive 97/80/EC) . However, the relevant statutory instrument, which came into force on 12 October 2001, was laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women, who has overall responsibility for women and equality issues.
	Directive 97/80/BC has effect in UK law by Council Directive 98/52/BC and is implemented in the UK through the Sex Discrimination (Indirect Discrimination And Burden of Proof) Regulations 2001. Its aim is to ensure that any measures implementing the principle of equal treatment are made more effective, thereby providing victims of sex discrimination with effective access to justice. The directive also defines the concept of indirect discrimination.
	We do not hold cost information in the form requested in part (b) of the question and that information could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.
	Departments are required to produce regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for all proposals, including those originating in European legislation, likely to impose significant costs on business, charities or voluntary organisations. DTI prepared an RIA for the regulations in question, which showed the cost to an employer who is not discriminating should be nil. A copy of the RIA has been placed in the House Libraries.

Accommodation Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of hotel accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years.

Christopher Leslie: Estimated expenditure on hotel accommodation incurred by departmental staff while on official business since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			 Year £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 132 
			 1998–99 122 
			 1999–2000 172 
			 2000–01 206 
		
	
	The Department is responsible for meeting the subsistence costs for staff who necessarily incur expenses while away from their office on official business. All hotel accommodation expenditure incurred meets the value for money criteria as set out in Chapter 9 of the Cabinet Office Management Code.
	The rise in hotel accommodation expenditure is mainly a result of the Cabinet Office's widening span of responsibilities in recent years. There has been a corresponding rise in necessary travel on official business by an increased staff resource. See following table:
	
		
			  Year Percentage increase in staff numbers(10) 
		
		
			 April 1997 to April 1998 3.4 
			 April 1998 to April 1999 47.0 
			 April 1999 to April 2000 12.0 
			 April 2000 to April 2001 5.0 
		
	
	(10) Agencies staff numbers excluded
	The increases in staff numbers have been in existing units whose roles have expanded and in new management units that have been introduced through new Government initiatives. In particular the increase between April 1998 and April 1999 is due to expansion of existing policy units such as the Social Exclusion Unit and Performance and Innovation Unit; and the transfer of units to the Cabinet Office such as the Women's Unit and the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will conduct a new tendering process for (a) advice on the shape of a new ILA scheme and (b) delivery of a new ILA scheme.

John Healey: holding answer 4 March 2002
	I confirmed to the House on 6 November 2002 that there will be a replacement for the ILA programme. We are currently using Segal Quince Wickstead to conduct a stakeholder consultation exercise seeking views on the shape and delivery mechanism of the new scheme. The new scheme will build on the strengths of the ILA and take into account the findings of the current consultation exercise which are due in early April. In relation to the delivery of the new scheme we are currently considering a number of options. We will announce our plans in due course.

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who her Department's advisers were on the establishment of the ILA; and what advice they gave on the need for validation on accreditation of learning providers.

John Healey: The Department appointed KPMG Consulting to assist in the design and development of the national framework of individual learning accounts. KPMG sought a range of views from stakeholders, including learning providers, to help inform the policy- making process of the Department.

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints about ILA money being illicitly drawn down were passed by Capita to her Department for investigation in each month since January 2000; how many of those investigations have been completed in each month; and how many of her staff worked on the investigation of complaints.

John Healey: The individual learning account national framework was launched in September 2000. Prior to the national framework launch, each Training and Enterprise Council had responsibility for the operational nature of the programme in their area. The Department does not hold complaint information during this period.
	Between 4 September 2000 and 31 January 2002, the Individual Learning Account Centre received some 18,000 complaints, many stemming from issues relating to the operational policy of the programme. Of this number, some 8,000 complaints involved potential abuse of the programme and were referred by Capita to the Department for investigation. Included in the 8,000 are some 5,900 complaints received relating to money taken from an ILA account without the individual's knowledge or consent.
	No monthly breakdown relating to complaints requiring investigation is available from commencement of the programme. All allegations about money being illicitly drawn down are followed up by the Department and where evidence of potential fraud is found the complaint is passed to the Department's Special Investigation Unit for further investigation and referral to the police if appropriate. One investigation has been completed. Currently, there are 37 staff involved in work relating to investigations.

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints involving potential fraud in the ILA scheme were received by her Department in each month since January 2000; and how many investigations of those complaints were (a) undertaken and (b) completed in each month.

John Healey: On the number of complaints received involving potential fraud in the ILA scheme, I refer to my answer given to Parliamentary Question 37538. All serious complaints are subject to follow-up and where evidence of potential fraud is found the complaint is passed to the Department's Special Investigation Unit (SIU). The SIU are currently dealing with 105 registered learning providers against whom 3804 complaints have been received. One further case was completed in February 2002. The table gives the information requested on investigations.
	
		
			   Cases logged 
		
		
			 November 2000 1 
			 July 2001 5 
			 August 2001 9 
			 October 2001 2 
			 November 2001 30 
			 December 2001 6 
			 January 2002 31 
			 February 2002 19 
			 March 2002 3 
			  
			 Total 106

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints about the quality of ILA learning providers were received by her Department in each month since January 2000; and how many investigations of those complaints were (a) undertaken and (b) completed in each month.

John Healey: Information specific to the quality of learning is not collected separately. As at 31 January 2002, 517 complaints had been recorded, expressing dissatisfaction with learning providers and a further 47 relating to general learning provider issues. During the early months of the programme complaints were few and as such, no complaint categorisation system was put in place. The figures quoted are as a result of a system introduced in March 2001.
	Complaints received about the quality of learning in themselves do not result in an investigation. Investigations are put in place to deal with potential abuses of the programme.

Public-Private Partnerships (Consultants)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total external spending by her Department was on public-private partnership consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2002, Official Report, column 634W. The only Private Finance Initiative with which my Department is involved is a Public Private Partnership to deliver the Connexions Card. Therefore the same figures apply. In addition, since 25 January, my Department has spent an additional £56,183.03 on public private partnership consultants. This equates to one full- time equivalent, and consisted of 49 billed consultancy days, at an average cost per consultant of £1,146.59. We have again used four consultancy firms.

Private Medical Insurance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many employees in (a) her Department and (b) her Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 1997–98; what the total cost is; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The Civil Service Management Code specifically precludes the provision of private medical insurance as a part of any structured remuneration package for civil servants. Consequently, private medical insurance is not a feature of the Department for Education and Skills' (DfES') terms and conditions of employment.
	The employees of DfES' non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are not civil servants. Four of DfES' NDPBs—the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI), Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC)—offer private medical insurance to some employees.
	Neither the CITB nor ECITB are publicly funded. The ALI and LSC are both obliged to offer private medical insurance to some employees under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations. The total number of employees covered and the annual costs of private medical insurance provision since 1997–98 is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Employees Cost (£000) 
		
		
			 1997–1998(11) 8 6.7 
			 1998–1999(11) 9 9.0 
			 1999–2000(11) 8 8.5 
			 2000–2001(11) 9 9.4 
			 2001–2002(12) 1,215 514.0 
		
	
	(11) CITB and ECITB.
	(12) ALI and LSC. Figures for the CITB and ECITB are not yet available.

Asylum Seekers

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what additional support is given to local education authorities to meet the costs resulting from the requirement to educate the children of asylum seekers.

Ivan Lewis: Local education authorities receive financial support, through the Education Standard Spending Assessment, for the cost of educating children of asylum seekers in the same way that it does for all pupils on school rolls. The Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant, part of the Department's Standards Fund, is available to help schools address the needs of minority ethnic pupils at risk of underachievement and support pupils, including children of asylum seekers, for whom English is an additional language. All LEAs are eligible for this funding, which in this financial year is providing around £154 million of support.
	In addition, in 2000–01, £1.5 million was made available to support the education costs of the children of asylum seekers dispersed to Home Office designated "cluster areas". This funding was rolled forward into this financial year and increased to £2,377,000.

Congestion Charging

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools, broken down by (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special, are within the congestion charge zone in London.

Stephen Timms: There will be 40 maintained nursery/primary schools, nine maintained secondary schools and five maintained special schools within the proposed congestion charge zone in London.
	These figures are estimated using postcode details of schools and the proposed central zone described in the Transport for London Street Management website on 18 March 2002.

School Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many (a) deaths and (b) serious accidents have occurred in practical lessons in schools in England in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidelines exist on class sizes for practical lessons in schools.

Ivan Lewis: My Department does not collect information on deaths and serious accidents in practical lessons in schools.
	Sizes of practical groups and pupil-teacher ratios are matters for local education authorities and schools. They should take account of assessments of potential hazards; the ages, abilities, aptitudes and any special educational needs of the pupils; and relevant safety regulations. My Department's "Area Guidelines for Schools" (Building Bulletin 82), published in 1996, carries recommendations for classroom area/pupil space. Further recommendations can also be found in the Department's "Design and Technology Accommodation in Secondary Schools" (Building Bulletin 81), "Art Accommodation in Secondary Schools" (Building Bulletin 89), "Guide to Safe Practice in Art and Design" (1995), and "Safety in Science Education" (1996). The Association for Science Education has published guidance, and advice is also available on request from the Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 14 February 2002, Official Report, columns 607–08W, what changes have since been made to the departmental expenditure limit.

Estelle Morris: The Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), including the Office for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools (OFSTED), which has a separate Estimate, has been decreased by £210,000 from £20,304,478,000 to £20,304,268,000.
	The impact of this reduction on the resources element of the DEL is set out in the following table:
	
		£000 
		
			   Resources  Capital  
			  Change New DEL Of which: Voted Non-voted DEL Of which: Voted Non-voted 
		
		
			 RfR 1 -210 17,014,918 6,675,052 10,339,866 2,820,374 1,851,123 969,251 
			 RfR 3 0 125,833 125,833 0 80,470 80,470 0 
			 RfR 4 0 98,073 98,073 0 0 0 0 
			 Total change -210 — — — — — — 
			 
			 Ofsted 0 152,019 152,019 0 12,581 12,581 0 
		
	
	The DfES Spring Supplementary Estimate included a transfer of provision from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) for Neighbourhood Surveys. It was subsequently discovered that this transfer was not included by DTLR in their Spring Supplementary or in their parliamentary answer announcing changes to their DEL.
	The administration costs limits remain unchanged as follows:
	
		Original
		
			   £000 
		
		
			 DfES (RfR1) 219,730 
			 Sure Start (RfR3) 3,890 
			 Children and Young People's Unit (RfR4) 2,491 
			 Ofsted 27,095

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 818–19W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against her Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by her Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 18 March 2002
	My Department has not undertaken any criminal proceedings for cases of theft since 1 May 1997.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine Tuberculosis

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what further steps she is taking to combat the rise of bovine tuberculosis.

Elliot Morley: On 31 January movement restrictions were placed on cattle herds which had missed a six or 12-month TB test after the lifting of movement restrictions, in annually tested parishes. This measure was introduced in response to a veterinary risk assessment which has shown that herds undergoing these kinds of tests have historically had the greatest risk of bovine TB infection. In addition the backlog of TB tests that have arisen during the foot and mouth outbreak are being prioritised and where possible extra resources are being diverted to carry out this work.

Foot and Mouth

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what non- domesticated animals other than brown rats have been implicated in the spread of foot and mouth; and what steps were taken to destroy them on infected farms.

Elliot Morley: There is no direct evidence that wildlife contributed to the spread of foot and mouth last year, either as mechanical carriers, or through contracting and carrying the virus. Pest control activities on infected premises and farms considered to be dangerous contacts was limited to baiting for rats.

National Forest

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a conclusion has been reached on the review of the National Forest Company.

Elliot Morley: The quinquennial review of the National Forest company has been completed. It has concluded that the company, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, should continue to be responsible for delivering the National forest Strategy which is contributing strongly to the government's sustainable development agenda. Since its creation in 1995 the Company has for example achieved an expansion of woodland cover in the National Forest area, covering 200 square miles in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire, from 6 per cent. to 12 per cent. Detailed changes to the company's operations will be made in order to maximise effective delivery and value for money. A full report of the review is available at www.defra.gov.uk.

Fish Quotas

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the statement by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 February 2002, Official Report, European Standing Committee A, column 25, whether the levy for the over-quota fish was paid to the producers' organisations whose members were recently prosecuted in Plymouth; whether the Department has undertaken the correct checks to ensure that the relevant procedure has been followed, pursuant to the requirements laid down in the Council Regulations governing the operations of producers' organisations; and whether correct procedures have been followed to ensure that these organisations are protected should the Commission carry out external checks.

Elliot Morley: From evidence we have in the form of sales notes, it appears that levy was paid to the South Western Fish Producers' Organisation on the landings both declared and undeclared. In the first instance, any remedial action regarding such levy payments is a matter for the PO.

Food Prices

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what information she collects on changes in farmgate and supermarket prices; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will list the monthly changes over the last 24 months of (a) the farmgate price and (b) the supermarket price of a 35 lb lamb.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Information on farmgate prices is collected from a variety of sources including my Department's own surveys of milk and egg processors, DEFRA Agricultural Market Reports, the Home Grown Cereals Authority, the British Potato Council and the Meat and Livestock Commission.
	Price indices based on these data are published monthly as "Agricultural Price Indices, United Kingdom".
	Retail prices are estimated from data on expenditure and volume of purchases as collected in the Expenditure and Food Survey (formerly the National Food Survey). These data are not published monthly as the sample size is insufficient. Approximate prices for selected commodities can be estimated from expenditure and consumption data that are published in the quarterly Statistics News Release. Annual average prices are given in the annual report on the survey (NFS 2000 is the latest).
	Monthly movements in retail prices for food, as with other items, are best monitored by reference to the Retail Price Index published by the Office for National Statistics.
	Information for the API for sheep and the RPI for home-killed lamb for the period January 2000 to December 2001 is given in the following table in terms of three-month moving averages. Agricultural producer prices were 7 per cent. lower at the end of the period than at the beginning while retail prices were 2.8 per cent. higher.
	Retail prices lag several months behind producer price movements and show less volatility.
	All foods as purchased by consumers will differ to some extent from the ex-farm commodity. Meat as retailed will have been de-boned, cut, trimmed of most fat and packaged. These additional processes affect the validity of a direct comparison between the consumer and farmgate prices.
	
		Producer and retail price indices: sheep and home-killed lamb(13)
		
			 Date Agricultural producer prices(14) Retail prices(15) 
		
		
			 2000   
			 January 100.0 100.0 
			 February 108.3 103.9 
			 March 115.0 107.0 
			 April 115.1 109.4 
			 May 110.8 110.6 
			 June 102.0 109.3 
			 July 94.2 105.9 
			 August 89.4 102.9 
			 September 88.0 100.9 
			 October 88.6 100.6 
			 November 91.8 100.2 
			 December 103.2 101.4 
			
			 2001   
			 January 115.9 104.3 
			 February 115.7 109.4 
			 March 112.7 112.7 
			 April 105.7 114.8 
			 May 107.9 114.6 
			 June 98.6 113.1 
			 July 90.0 108.9 
			 August 82.1 105.4 
			 September 79.0 103.4 
			 October 83.6 102.9 
			 November 93.0 102.8 
			 December — — 
		
	
	(13) 3-month moving averages (December 1999-February 2000 = 100)
	(14) DEFRA: Agricultural Price Indices, United Kingdom (www.defra.gov.uk)
	(15) ONS: Consumer Price Indices (www.statistics.gov.uk)

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Accountancy Contracts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the contracts agreed by her Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997; and what was the total value of contracts with each.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to the hon. Member for Bath (Don Foster) on 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 1116W and to the hon. Member for Perth (Annabelle Ewing) on 15 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1279–80W.

Justices of the Peace

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many members of staff at her Department are justices of the peace; and if she has a strategy for her Department to encourage members of staff to become justices of the peace.

Kim Howells: The Department keeps no central records of the number of staff who are justices of the peace. Staff involved in magisterial duties are granted up to 18 days special leave with pay each year.

Regeneration Schemes (English Heritage)

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  which English Heritage supported regeneration schemes have (a) applied for EC state aid, (b) been successful and (c) been refused in the last 12 months;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on EU state aid rules and English Heritage-supported projects.

Kim Howells: holding answer 15 March 2002
	English Heritage's main historic buildings, monuments, parks and gardens programme, which supports the repair of individual buildings, parks and gardens, was notified to the European Commission as possible state aid in July 2001. We are awaiting the Commission's assessment of the programme's compatibility with the EC Treaty. Grants to individual enterprises from English Heritage's Heritage Economic Regeneration schemes do not require notification as they are compatible with the de minimis block exemption regulation.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much money has been received in the form of donations to fund the Golden Jubilee events in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will list (a) the donors sponsoring the Golden Jubilee events and (b) the amount of money each donor has contributed in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 265W. These are matters for Lord Sterling, who started fundraising last summer and has so far raised over £4.5 million.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the groups expected to march in the Golden Jubilee procession on 4 June; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Queen's Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust, chaired by Lord Sterling, announced the details on 13 March 2002.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans have been made for cleaning up after major Golden Jubilee events; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: For events taking place in the Royal Parks during the Jubilee Weekend of 1 to 4 June, cleaning up will be the responsibility of the event organisers and the Royal Parks Agency. For events in Westminster and the City of London, responsibility will fall to Westminster city council or the Corporation of London as appropriate.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visitors are expected to attend the (a) fireworks display on 3 June, (b) ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace on 4 June, (c) Golden Jubilee Festival in the Mall on 4 June and (d) Queen's balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace on 4 June; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Previous experience of similar events shows that it is impossible accurately to predict the numbers that will attend, but many tens of thousands are expected.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps have been taken to encourage neighbourhood street parties to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Golden Jubilee Office distributed 20,000 Golden Jubilee Celebrations Toolkits to councils, Citizens' Advice Bureaux, libraries, a wide range of organisations across England, Scotland and Wales and the media. A further 13,500 copies have subsequently been requested and demand continues to be high. The Celebrations Toolkit is also available to be downloaded from the official Golden Jubilee website (www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk).
	In addition, representatives from Buckingham Palace and the Golden Jubilee Office are delivering joint briefings across the United Kingdom. To date, they have briefed over 1,200 organisations. More briefings are planned.
	On 6 March, the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions issued guidance to local authorities in England about their powers to close roads for events such as street parties and suggesting ways of ensuring that undue burdens are not placed on event organisers. This was announced in a joint press release from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to commission statues in commemoration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Government have no plans to commission statues to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The Government are working closely with Buckingham Palace to facilitate the celebrations in a way that embraces the six themes for the Jubilee: celebration; giving thanks; service; involving the whole community; looking forward as well as back; and the Commonwealth, while adhering to Her Majesty's wish that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds. It is for local communities to decide how they wish to celebrate the Jubilee.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) of 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 986W, on the Golden Jubilee, what the objectives are of each initiative for the celebrations; if she will outline the project plans; how many people are working on each of these initiatives and plans; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The objective of each of the 61 initiatives that are being delivered through 12 project plans is to facilitate the celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee in a way that embraces the six themes for the Jubilee: celebration; giving thanks; service; involving the whole community; looking forward as well as back; and the Commonwealth, while adhering to Her Majesty's wish that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds. It is for local communities to decide how they wish to celebrate the Jubilee.
	Some of the initiatives have yet to be announced and I will, therefore, write to the hon. Member outlining them in due course.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) of 14 February 2002, Official Report, column 622W, on the Golden Jubilee, what plans she has to apply for a special grant for exceptional additional costs which could not be met from within existing budgets for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and for how much; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I have no such plans.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Department has spent on the Queen's Jubilee in each of the past three years; how the money was allocated; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: No DCMS expenditure was incurred before 2001–02 for which £4.017 million was transferred to my Department by the Home Office from their existing vote.

Golden Jubilee

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1156W, ref. 41453, what the definition is of employment with the 999 emergency services for the purpose of eligibility for the award of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.

Tessa Jowell: To be eligible for the medal, emergency personnel must have completed five years' service on 6 February 2002 with one of the '999' emergency services which include the police, ambulance and fire services, the Coastguard, mountain rescue and the RNLI.

Golden Jubilee

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reasons prison officers will not be awarded the Golden Jubilee Medal.

Tessa Jowell: The medal is being issued to members of the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary and to the '999' emergency services. As the Prison Service is not an emergency service, prison officers will not be eligible for the medal.

BBC News 24

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the terms of reference will be for the review of BBC News 24.

Tessa Jowell: The independent review of News 24 which I have asked Richard Lambert, formerly editor of the Financial Times, to conduct will have the following terms of reference:
	The independent reviewer shall:
	consider whether, in delivering its News 24 service, the BBC is acting in accordance with the facts and assurances upon which approval to proceed with the service was given;
	have regard, in reaching any conclusions, to:
	(a) the BBC's own report on the performance of News 24 and to any subsequent evidence provided by the Corporation; and
	(b) views submitted by any other interested parties in response to the BBC's report;
	submit a report to the Secretary of State, in publishable form, by the end of June 2002, setting out his conclusions and, if appropriate, making any recommendations he believes necessary to ensure that News 24 is operated in line with the original approval.
	I am today placing on my Department's website, www.culture.gov.uk, the BBC's own report on the operation of News 24: this sets out the basis on which the service was approved. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Richard Lambert is writing to a range of organisations who may wish to comment to him. I would encourage all those with an interest to contribute their views.

Free Television Licences

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of households (a) entitled to and (b) receiving the free TV licence for the over-75s in each year since its introduction.

Kim Howells: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The Government introduced free television licences for people aged 75 or over on 1 November 2000. An estimated 3.4 million households previously paying the full licence fee are now entitled to a free licence. Three million free licences were issued in the financial year 2000–01. 3.2 million free licences were issued between April and December 2001 and the forecast take-up of the concession for the year as a whole is 99 per cent. In addition, approximately 500,000 people living in residential homes and sheltered housing, who previously qualified for the £5 Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary fee, now receive their licence free of charge; we believe this represents the great majority of those eligible, though precise figures are not available.

Free Television Licences

Irene Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioner households in Paisley, North are benefiting from free television licences for the over-75s.

Kim Howells: TV Licensing, which administers the free television licence scheme for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 3,800 people aged 75 or over in the Paisley, North constituency.

Communications Bill

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will publish the Communications Bill.

Kim Howells: The Government intends to publish the draft Communications Bill around the end of April.

Art Market

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the impact of (a) resale artists' rights, (b) taxation and (c) EU regulations on the European and UK art markets.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The latest Government assessment on artists' resale rights was contained in Explanatory Memorandum 5665/01, of 1 March 2001. The EU Directive of artists' resale rights will not be implemented in the UK until 1 January 2006 and the implementation process will include updating of this assessment.
	No other assessments of the art market have been made.

Art Market

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the impact of taxation and EU regulations on the European and UK art markets; and if she will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department has received no representations about the impact of taxation and EU regulations on the European and UK art markets since negotiations on the artists' resale rights in 2001. The Government's response to these representations was covered in Explanatory Memorandum 5665/01, of 1 March 2001.

Art Market

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the size of the UK's share of the international art market in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department has made no such estimates.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Zimbabwe

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Councils of the Commonwealth.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made earlier today in the House.

India (Ian Stillman)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the UK high commissioner for India met the Stillman family during their recent stay in Delhi to discuss the case of Ian Stillman.

Ben Bradshaw: Our high commissioner in New Delhi did not meet Ian Stillman's family during their recent visit. However, Mr. Stillman's family did meet senior officials at the high commission on 1 March and 5 March 2002.
	We are doing all we can to assist Mr. Stillman's family. My noble Friend Baroness Amos met Mr. Stillman's sister on 5 February 2002 to discuss the case. The Head of our consular division in London also met Mr. Stillman's family on 14 January 2002 and 14 May 2001.

Celebrations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements his Department has made to celebrate (a) St. Patrick's Day, (b) St. George's Day, (c) St. Andrew's Day and (d) Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and how his Department celebrated St. David's Day.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 March 2002
	There were no special arrangements made for St. David's Day or St. Patrick's Day. Neither are there special arrangements being made to celebrate St. George's Day and St. Andrew's Day.
	The FCO is sponsoring the tour of The Queen's Golden Jubilee Baton through 23 Commonwealth countries. It left London on Monday 11 March, Commonwealth Day, and will return to the UK on 5 June. Our missions overseas will arrange events and encourage publicity to support the Baton's passage, supported by local Commonwealth Games associations and the British Council.
	Additionally, there will be eight open days from April to October when the FCO will be open to view by members of the public. It is one of the "String of Pearls" historic public buildings that will be open to the public, along the banks of the Thames in central London.
	We have issued general guidance to all our missions overseas on the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee. Many of our embassies and high commissions will use the occasion to enhance their annual Queen's birthday party. Missions will also hold additional events using publicity materials specifically prepared for the Jubilee in the FCO, taking into account The Queen's desire that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds.

Ministerial Visits

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will list the official visits within the UK outside London made by each Minister in his Department in 2001, giving for each (a) the origin and destination and (b) the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on choice of mode of travel for official visits;
	(2)  if he will list the official visits to (a) Paris and (b) Brussels made by each Minister in his Department in 2001 and the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on the choice of mode of travel for such visits.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet office on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 421W.

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is towards age discrimination.

Ben Bradshaw: In line with the recommendations of the Performance and Innovation Unit Report "Winning the Generation Game", the FCO has examined its retirement ages. As a result, clerical and support staff are now able to work until 65 and junior and middle managers to 63.

Equipment Leasing

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by his Department in each of the last four years; and what the cost is to public funds in each case.

Denis MacShane: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

External Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies in each of the past five years.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 28 February 2002
	This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

PRIVY COUNCIL

European Union Directives

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to his Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each.

Robin Cook: My Department has been required to implement the working time directive. The regulations give workers rights relating to total hours worked, breaks between days worked and over a working week or fortnight, and a meal break during the working day. This directive has been implemented at no cost to public funds, as it is part of both line manager and personnel responsibilities. There has been no cost to business.

Criminal Damage

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the cost has been of criminal damage to his Department's buildings in each of the last four years.

Robin Cook: No such damage has been reported during the period mentioned.

Crèche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what crèche facilities are provided by his Department; and at what cost.

Robin Cook: My Department has no crèche facilities.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council 
	(1)  if he will list the public service agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report;
	(2)  which public service agreement targets scheduled to be met in 2002 will not be achieved by the due date.

Robin Cook: Like other small Departments, the Privy Council Office is not required to have a public service agreement.

Human Rights Act

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how many cases have been brought against his Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments.

Robin Cook: No cases have been brought against my Department under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what his Department's policy is towards age discrimination.

Robin Cook: My Department is planning to review its policies and procedures to integrate age discrimination and has a commitment that there should be no unfair treatment of staff on the basis of age. The Privy Council Office has implemented the recommendations of the Performance and Innovation Unit report 'Winning the Generation Game' in particular that permanent staff can stay on up to the age of 65 subject to operational requirements.
	My Department currently employs two staff who are beyond retirement age: bot are fee paid and employed for their skills and to meet the needs of the department. My Department has also taken advantage of the New Deal for Over-50s.

Energy Costs

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on energy costs incurred by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Robin Cook: Energy costs for my Department are as follows:
	2000–01—£11,818.04
	2001–02 (costs to date)—£9,436.70.
	Figures for the other years requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	My Department monitors weather conditions when deciding whether to switch the heating on or off and has reduced its gas consumption by 10 per cent. for 2001 as stated in our service delivery agreement.

Government Bills

Norman Baker: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the average number of days of consideration for Government Bills in (a) the House of Commons and (b) the House of Lords in each parliamentary Session since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Robin Cook: pursuant to his reply, 11 March 2002, c. 706W
	I regret to say that there was an error in that I had understood the times given for consideration of Bills in the Lords to include time spent in Grand Committee, which they did not. I give a corrected version 1 of the entire answer as follows, which I hope will be for the convenience of Members.
	
		House of Commons
		
			 Session 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Government Bills considered—floor 53 31 40 26 
			 Time taken debating 781 hrs 53 mins 396 hrs 38 mins 565 hrs 5 mins 243 hrs 35 mins 
			 Average time per Bill 14 hrs 45 mins 12 hrs 48 mins 14 hrs 8 mins 9 hrs 22 mins 
			  
			 Government Bills considered—Standing Committee 31 26 37 17 
			 Sittings (Standing Committee) 228 207 341 121 
			 Average sittings per Bill 7.35 7.96 9.22 7.12 
		
	
	
		House of Lords
		
			 Session 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Government Bills considered on floor 50 29 42 27 
			 Time taken debating 806 hrs 54 mins 622 hrs 48 mins 791 hrs 33 mins 223 hrs 38 mins 
			 Average time per Bill 16 hrs 8 mins 21 hrs 28 mins 18 hrs 51 mins 8 hrs 17 mins 
			  
			 Government Bills considered in Grand Committee 6 4 9 2 
			 Time taken debating 35 hrs 29 mins 21 hrs 30 mins 19 hrs 47 mins 36 hrs 54 mins 
			 Average time per Bill 5 hrs 55 mins 5 hrs 23 mins 2 hrs 12 mins 18 hrs 27 mins 
		
	
	(16) Supplied by the Journal Offices in the Lords and Commons.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Publicity

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the publicity and advertising campaigns run by her Department in each of the last four years, specifying the (a) purpose, (b) cost to public funds, (c) number of staff involved and (d) method of evaluation in each case.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 4 March 2002
	In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, there have been no publicity or advertising campaigns in each of the last four years.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has not run any publicity or advertising campaigns in each of the last four years.
	Details of the publicity costs incurred by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last four years were provided in my reply to PQ number 36156.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department has not been involved in any specific publicity and advertising campaigns over the last four years. However, the Department does incur advertising and publicity costs in its normal course of business. Details of these costs over the last four years were given in my reply to PQ number 36156.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office has not run any publicity or advertising campaigns in each of the last four years. Details of the publicity costs incurred by the Serious Fraud Office in each of the last four years were provided in my reply to PQ number 36156.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Solicitor-General how many appointments to public bodies have been made through her Department (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 12 March 2002
	My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers has not made any appointments to public bodies (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 or (b) since March 2001.
	In those Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has not made any appointments to public bodies (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 or (b) since 31 March 2001.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department has not made any appointments to public bodies (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 or (b) since 31 March 2001.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office has not made any appointments to public bodies (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 or (b) since 31 March 2001.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to her Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 4 March 2002
	My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years. Members of the Department have however assisted in the implementation of directives and regulations which are the responsibility of the Departments they advise.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years.

Catering Services

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by her Department in each of the last four years.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 4 March 2002
	My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers does not provide an in-house canteen, or other catering services for staff.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has one in-house canteen, which is located at its headquarters building in London. The service is contracted out to a commercial firm, following a competitive tender. The annual cost to the CPS of this facility during the last four years has been as follows:
	
		
			 Year £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 42,182 
			 1998–99 56,527 
			 1999–2000 49,193 
			 2000–01 57,865 
		
	
	Costs are reviewed by regular contract management meetings with the contractor and by competitive tender.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department does not have an in-house staff canteen. The total amounts spent on catering services for hospitality, training and meeting refreshments in each of the last four years were are follows:
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	£4,263.19 in 1998–99
	£6,537.34 in 1999–2000
	£6,041.71 in 2000–01
	£5,376.63 in 2001–02 (to date).
	Government Property Lawyers
	£84.73 in 1998–99
	£7.62 in 1999–2000
	£0 in 2000–01
	£0 in 2001–02 (to date)
	Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
	£0 in 1998–99
	£0 in 1999–2000
	£0 in 2000–01
	£1,461.35 in 2001–02 (to date).
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office does not provide an in-house canteen, or other catering services.

Rail Journeys (Staff)

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make it her policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in her Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 7 March 2002
	In relation to my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and the Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible, section 8 paragraph 8.2.1 of the civil service management code requires Departments and agencies to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel in the circumstances, taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.
	The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers is fully committed to ensuring that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel commensurate with meeting operational needs.
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service's travel and Subsistence policy already makes it clear that official travel should always be conducted in the most effective and economic manner and normally by public transport.
	The main principles of the Crown Prosecution Service's travel and subsistence policy are:
	No reimbursement is appropriate when no extra expense is incurred;
	All official journeys must be necessary, duly authorised, and undertaken in the most economical manner consistent with the efficient conduct of official business;
	Payment from public funds will normally be based on the cost of the journey by the most economical route and the most reasonable mode of conveyance;
	The Department may refuse claims for unreasonable expenses, or expenses which could have been avoided if the journey had been better planned.
	The Crown Prosecution Service grants entitlement to first class travel to all staff at Level C, Pay Bank C2/ Level B, Pay Band B3 and above. This entitlement is a contractual right that forms part of the terms and conditions of service for those Crown Prosecution Service staff members. On a number of occasions, the Department has considered the removal of this right but has withdrawn from that approach because of the cost associated with a buy-out of the contractual right.
	Furthermore, staff entitled to standard class travel only, may be allowed to travel first class in the following circumstances:
	When required to travel overnight;
	When necessarily travelling with a civil servant entitled to first class travel or a non-civil servant travelling first class;
	When the Department is satisfied that it is not practicable for the member of staff to obtain a seat in standard class. Treasury Solicitor's Department
	It is departmental policy in the Treasury solicitor's Department that all staff, regardless of grade, must have full regard to the need for economy in travelling and must always consider using standard class on trains. Only more senior staff may travel using first class, though junior staff may accompany them if they need to work together during the journey. Serious Fraud Office
	It is departmental policy in the Serious Fraud Office that all staff, regardless of grade, must have full regard to the need for economy in travelling and must always travel standard class unless they can obtain better prices for first class travel, or there are compelling reasons not to travel standard class.

Department of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Solicitor-General what the size is of the annual caseload of the Department of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland in each tier of court in the last year for which figures are available; and what her estimate is of the annual caseload based on the full implementation of proposals relating to the office set out in the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill.

Harriet Harman: In 2001 the numbers of persons appearing per tier of court in Northern Ireland in proceedings prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland were as follows:
	
		
			 Court Number of cases 
		
		
			 Magistrates court 4,664 
			 Crown court 753 
			 County court appeals 776 
			 Court of appeal 59 
			 Case stated 4 
			 Judicial review 6 
		
	
	Information currently available from the Police Service of Northern Ireland estimates that a caseload of some 80,000 files per year will require to be considered by the Public Prosecution Service which is to be established under the terms of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill.

TREASURY

Internet Service Providers (VAT)

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much VAT he estimates his announcement on 14 March means will not have to be paid by AOL; and how much VAT for identical services will have to be paid by (a) BT Open World and (b) Freeserve;
	(2)  with reference to his announcement of 14 March concerning the VAT treatment of internet service providers, if he will place in the Library a list of the (a) consultations Customs and Excise and the Treasury made with UK ISPs, together with copies of the responses to the consultation and (b) meetings which Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and Treasury Ministers and officials had with persons employed by or on behalf of AOL.

Paul Boateng: As part of their review of the VAT treatment of internet service packages, Customs sought input from a range of interested bodies, including major internet service providers. However, this process was not undertaken as a formal consultation exercise, and there are therefore no formal consultation responses available for publication. Customs are debarred by statute form disclosing details of individual taxpayers' or companies' affairs.

Statistics

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population of the travel to work areas covering (a) the Isle of Wight, (b) Bournemouth, (c) Southampton and (d) Portsmouth work outside their travel to work area.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Mr. Len Cook to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 21 March 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about travel-to-work-areas. (45010)
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of employment rates according to the travel-to-work-area (TTWA) in which people are resident. Although information about people's workplace is available from the LFS also, this could only be analysed by TTWA at disproportionate cost.

Employment Statistics (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the work force in (a) St. Helens, South, (b) the St. Helens metropolitan borough council area, (c) Merseyside, (d) Manchester, (e) the north-west, (f) other regional development area regions and (g) England in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001, were employed in (A) manufacturing, (B) hotel and catering, (C) retailing, (D) finance and business services, (E) IT, (F) wholesale and distribution, (G) construction and (H) other services.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Mr. Len Cook to Mr. Shaun Woodward, dated 21 March 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the percentage of the workforce in various industries and geographies. (44490)
	The available figures are for employee jobs and cover the years 1996 to 2000. Estimates are arranged according to the Standard Industrial Classification, 1992 (SIC92). SIC92 industries do not correspond exactly to those specified in the question and regional development areas are not available.
	I am placing an extract from the Nomis database that provides a close match for your requirement in the House of Commons library. You should note, however, that this does not cover the whole economy. The Nomis database is available to Members and is accessible by library staff.
	
		Annual Employment Survey Rescaled (1996,1997); Annual Business Inquiry (1998–2000) -- ONS Crown copyright reserved [from Nomis on 20 March 2002]Analysis: Number of employees expressed as a percentage of employees in all industriesSex: personsPercentage
		
			 Industry St. Helens, South St. Helens Merseyside Manchester North-west Government office region(17) England 
		
		
			  Industry: 15–37: Manufacturing 
			 1996 26.8 25.1 14.8 9.6 20.3 17.6 
			 1997 22.0 21.1 15.1 8.9 20.0 17.1 
			 1998 23.9 21.9 14.1 8.4 19.2 16.6 
			 1999 22.2 21.8 13.7 8.0 18.3 15.7 
			 2000 19.0 18.9 13.2 8.1 17.8 15.1 
			
			  Industry: 55: Hotels and restaurants 
			 1996 5.6 6.1 5.6 6.5 6.3 6.2 
			 1997 8.3 7.5 6.1 6.6 6.7 6.3 
			 1998 7.7 8.0 7.1 6.7 6.8 6.3 
			 1999 6.8 6.5 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.4 
			 2000 5.0 5.0 5.0 6.2 6.5 6.3 
			
			  Industry: 52: Retail trade, except of motor vehicles 
			 1996 13.0 12.3 11.4 8.7 10.9 10.4 
			 1997 13.6 13.2 11.9 8.8 10.6 10.3 
			 1998 14.9 15.0 12.9 9.4 11.4 10.8 
			 1999 13.9 15.2 12.1 8.7 11.5 10.7 
			 2000 14.7 15.3 12.9 9.2 11.6 10.8 
			
			  Industry: 65–67, 74: Finance and business services 
			 1996 10.7 9.0 12.4 20.1 12.0 14.9 
			 1997 10.0 8.4 12.6 22.1 12.8 15.3 
			 1998 8.0 7.0 11.5 21.2 12.6 15.3 
			 1999 10.9 9.0 12.0 21.6 12.7 15.4 
			 2000 11.4 9.0 12.5 22.1 12.5 15.8 
			
			  Industry: 72: Computing and related activities 
			 1996 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.8 1.3 
			 1997 0.4 0.5 0.8 1.1 0.9 1.4 
			 1998 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.6 
			 1999 0.5 0.6 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.9 
			 2000 0.6 0.6 1.3 1.7 1.4 2.1 
			 Industry: 51: Wholesale trade/commission trade, etc. 
			 1996 3.3 4.3 3.5 4.7 4.5 4.8 
			 1997 3.3 4.4 4.0 5.5 4.8 5.0 
			 1998 3.2 4.1 3.2 5.7 4.8 4.9 
			 1999 3.4 5.8 3.7 4.8 4.7 4.9 
			 2000 3.7 5.5 3.8 4.8 4.7 4.9 
			
			  Industry: 45: Construction 
			 1996 4.2 4.7 3.2 2.4 3.8 3.6 
			 1997 6.3 5.9 3.8 2.3 4.4 4.1 
			 1998 5.8 6.0 4.0 3.0 4.5 4.3 
			 1999 6.1 5.2 3.2 2.9 4.4 4.4 
			 2000 7.9 7.3 5.0 2.5 4.8 4.3 
			
			  Industry: 93: Other service activities 
			 1996 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.5 1.0 1.1 
			 1997 1.2 1.4 1.1 0.7 1.1 1.1 
			 1998 1.6 1.6 1.2 0.7 1.0 1.1 
			 1999 1.6 1.4 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.2 
			 2000 1.6 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.2 
		
	
	(17) Including Merseyside
	Notes:
	1. The percentages are based on aggregates from which agriculture class 0100 (1992 SIC) have been excluded.
	2. The numbers in the industry descriptions correspond to industries contained in the Standard Industrial Classification, 1992.

Governor of the Bank of England

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date he intends to announce the appointment of the next Governor of the Bank of England; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The term of office of the current Governor of the Bank of England runs until June 2003. The appointment of the next Governor will be announced in good time to ensure a smooth transition.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits (Administration)

Phil Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve the performance of local authorities in administering housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Malcolm Wicks: Improving the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit is a key part of our reform programme.
	We are today launching a set of comprehensive performance standards covering the full range of administration. For the first time local authorities will know exactly what it is we are expecting them to achieve. A copy of the product has been placed in the Library and this month two copies of the package will be sent to every English, Welsh and Scottish authority administering these benefits.
	Local authorities will now be able to undertake a comprehensive self-assessment against the standards, to determine how far they deliver these benefits effectively and securely.
	The standards cover seven functional areas and deliberately address the full range of administrative activity, not just speed, accuracy and security. They will provide a basis for measuring performance in administering housing benefit and council tax benefit, enabling local authorities to conduct a self-assessment to determine their own level of performance and to work in an environment of continuous improvement.
	In addition, the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate will assess performance against these standards using an authority's self-assessment as part of the inspection process.
	The performance standards demonstrate our determination to improve the standard of housing benefit and council tax benefit administration, as part of our wider drive to reduce barriers to work, promote dignity and security in retirement and to protect the system against fraud and error.

Benefit Fraud

Phil Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the city of Salford council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's report on the city of Salford council was published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	The report finds the city of Salford council to be a poorly performing authority in almost all aspects of benefits administration and counter fraud activity.
	BFI reports finding evidence of good policies and procedures, but these were undermined by inadequate implementation or monitoring. For example, a benefit take-up policy existed but there was limited evidence of implementation.
	The report identifies a range of examples of poor administration. This includes an inadequate management checking regime, poor standards for verifying claims for benefit, and failure to process all new claims within 14 days of receiving all the necessary information.
	Procedures for dealing with changes to claimants' circumstances were found to be flawed and a failure to apply the law was likely to lead to over and under- payments of benefit.
	The council had no policy on overpayments. The lack of quality management information and a lack of managerial or supervisory involvement contribute to poor overpayment recovery. In March 2000 the council's recorded overpayment debt stood at almost £5 million and was rising year on year.
	While the city of Salford council had a positive counter fraud strategy and had provided officers with a good procedures manual, investigation quality was found to be inadequate. There was no control over investigations, nor over the workload of each investigator which was found to be excessive.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit, as well as counter fraud activities.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Phil Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Kirklees metropolitan council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's second report on Kirklees metropolitan council was published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	The BFI first inspected and published a report on the performance of Kirklees metropolitan council on 29 May 1999. It found that the council was performing poorly. Following publication of this first report, the council accepted the recommendations and drew up an action plan to improve performance. BFI's second report finds that Kirklees has largely failed to implement its own action plan and has not fully addressed any of the major recommendations included in the first BFI report. Inspectors consider that the council's performance in administering benefit and countering benefit fraud has got worse since the first inspection.
	Poor performance was identified in many areas of benefit administration. A failure to improve the verification of benefit claims; no improvement on previously slow processing times for new and renewal claims; a deterioration of procedure for dealing with the overpayment of benefit; and a lack of supervisory management were all reported by inspectors. At the time of the inspection there was a backlog of around 7,000 cases awaiting assessment and 65,000 documents awaiting filing.
	On counter fraud work, the report notes failures by the council to introduce and implement a counter fraud strategy and to introduce and implement a prosecution policy. There was also increased potential for internal fraud, fewer fraud staff and a lack of management within the counter fraud teams.
	The BFI considers that Kirklees metropolitan council's inadequate response to the findings of the first inspection casts grave doubts on its commitment to provide an efficient and secure benefits system.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit, as well as counter fraud activities.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Housing Benefit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to implement the recommendations on housing benefit reforms set out in the Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all".

Malcolm Wicks: We have a three-stage strategy for reforming housing benefit and dealing with the legacy of neglect we have inherited. The first stage, which is now well under way, is to radically improve HB administration and bear down on fraud.
	The HB help team is working in partnership with local authorities to support them in improving the administration of HB. We are already seeing real improvements in administration as a result of the team's work and the on-going programme of inspections by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate. We also want to help more authorities deliver a high standard of HB service by sharing good practice. We are developing a dedicated website to do so and we plan to make available shortly on CD a "toolkit" which the help team has developed.
	In April we will publish performance standards for the full range of HB administration. These standards offer local authorities practical guidance on effective and secure administration of benefit. Local authorities will be able to self-assess their performance against standards.
	We have already increased HB administration subsidy for the year 2001–02 to £166 million, in 2002–03 it will increase to £170 million and to £174 million in 2003–04. This three-year settlement provides local authorities with stability, enabling them to plan more effectively for the future administration of HB and council tax benefit.
	With the introduction of the pension credit, we are removing the need to reclaim HB every year for pensioners aged 65 and over. For those over 65, we will be making awards for five years. The HB income threshold will also be raised by the maximum amount of the pension credit savings reward, to an expected level of £113.80 for single pensioners in 2003 and we will treat pensioners' capital more generously.
	Introduced nationally from April 2002, our new anti-fraud incentive scheme, puts more emphasis on prevention of fraud, as well as its detection. And we are working to get an accurate and robust measurement of fraud in the system, through the HB reviews begun last April. In time we expect to gain sufficiently reliable information from the reviews of the level of loss in the system to be able to measure progress against an agreed target.
	The second stage, which is already beginning, is to restructure rents. This is an essential prerequisite to the third stage of reform, instituting fundamental changes to the structure of HB. Fundamental reform of HB has to be built on the platform of the first two stages if it is to succeed, as was clearly set out in the Housing Green Paper.

Relocation Expenses

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in his Department.

Maria Eagle: Relocation expenses are available to DWP staff in the event of a compulsory and permanent transfer which necessitates a move of home. In determining whether these expenses are available to individual staff, alternative options such as local recruitment or redeployment are considered first to ensure that these transfers are cost effective.
	The financial assistance available would normally cover all necessary legal, removals and estate agents' costs. Assistance from a specialist relocation company in marketing homes is also available. On-going assistance may also be forthcoming if a member of staff relocates to a dearer housing, as determined by the use of Valuation Office data, resulting in increased housing costs. All new housing costs are closely compared to those at the original home to ensure that comparable property types are used. These expenses and controls are in line with the central guidance in section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code.

Employment (Disabled People)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) private companies, (b) charitable and voluntary and (c) public sector organisations based in the Buckingham constituency have adopted the two ticks symbol.

Maria Eagle: Employers who wish to apply for two ticks status are assessed by our disability employment advisers. The two ticks disability symbol helps employers show that they are committed to employing people with disabilities, and also helps people with disabilities to identify which employers have a positive attitude to their abilities.
	The information requested is in the table.
	
		Organisations in the Buckingham parliamentary constituency using the two ticks disability symbol
		
			 Type of organisation Number 
		
		
			 Private sector companies 4 
			 Charitable and voluntary organisations 0 
			 Public sector organisations 2

Age Discrimination

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 28W, on age discrimination, how much money has been allocated to the Age Positive Campaign; how many (a) companies, (b) academic institutions and (c) research or lobby organisations have signed up to the campaign; how many workers are employed by the companies that have signed up to the campaign; how many companies expect to sign up to the campaign; how he monitors organisations that have signed up to comply with the campaign; how many people are employed to monitor organisations that have signed to comply with the campaign; and how many companies have been removed from the Age Positive Campaign after being found to be not maintaining the campaign's code.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 12 March 2002
	The Age Positive budget for 2001–02 is £1 million and is used to develop and promote the business case for non-ageist employment practices to all employers and individuals across Great Britain.
	Those who wish to actively support the Age Positive campaign do not formally sign up to it. They are encouraged to provide positive case studies and may apply to become age positive champions. To become an age positive champion, a potential applicant must submit strong evidence of commitment to age positive practice. Officials of this Department vet applications from potential champions.
	Organisations that do not have in place a wide enough range of age positive practices to be accepted as champions are still often able to provide useful case studies illustrating particular age positive aspects of their employment policies. Age positive champions play a vital role in the campaign. By promoting their own best practice and highlighting the practical business benefits of a mixed age workforce they encourage other employers and individuals to tackle age discrimination in the workplace. There are currently 32 age positive champions and around 50 case studies, although both figures are steadily increasing. The newest feature of the campaign is the age positive website www.agepositive.gov.uk

LORD CHANCELLOR

Civil Servants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if she will set out for each civil service grade within her (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1072W.

Solicitors

David Cameron: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will make a statement on the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors and its role in reviewing complaints against solicitors.

Michael Wills: Solicitors are members of a self-regulating professional body, the Law Society. The Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) is a separate organisation set up by the Law Society to handle complaints against members. The Government have warned the OSS that failure to make significant improvements in performance could result in the powers to appoint a Legal Services Complaints Commissioner being activated.

Solicitors

David Cameron: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to review the self-regulation of solicitors; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The legal profession is independent of Government and as such it is the professional bodies which, in the first instance, are responsible for the regulation of their members. The Government have no current plans to alter this. However, we are aware of concerns about the standard of complaints handling by the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS). For this reason, the Government have already taken reserve powers to impose standards for complaints handling on the legal professional bodies. These powers would allow for the establishment of a new post, the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner, whose function would be to set targets for the handling of complaints by failing bodies. The Lord Chancellor is considering the OSS's performance against targets and any decision about the appointment of the Commissioner will be made in due course.

HEALTH

Nursing Home Residents

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his figure for self-financing residents of nursing homes in England and Wales was arrived at.

Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	The Department of health conducted a survey of nursing homes, via health authorities' registration departments, in June and July of last year to establish the number and location of those paying their nursing home fees from their own resources (self funders). The results of the survey are available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/freenursingcare/index.htm. A total of 42,700 self-funders were identified through this survey.

Lymphoedea

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the treatment in the NHS available to sufferers of lymphoedea.

Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	Treatment, and where it is delivered, will depend on whether the patient has primary or secondary lymphoedema. Health authorities, in partnership with primary care groups/trusts, have the responsibility for deciding what services to provide for their populations including those with lymphoedema. They are best placed to understand local health needs and commission services to meet them.

Maternity Units

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into the difference in morbidity rates between mothers who have given birth in midwife-led maternity units and those who have given birth in other types of maternity units; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 29 October 2001
	I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	The Department has not commissioned any such research.
	The Maternity and Neonatal Workforce Group is considering different models of care, including midwife- led units, in order to inform the maternity services section of the Children's National Service Framework.

Psychiatric Nursing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the factors underlying the fall in the number of community psychiatric nursing episodes from 1996–97 to 1999–2000.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 November 2001
	I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	The factors underlying the fall in the number of community psychiatric nursing episodes from 1996–97 to 1999–2000 include the number of new professional community based roles; increase in the number of people with mental illness receiving first assessment and initial therapeutic interventions in primary care settings; and mental health service users and carers using NHS Direct and Walk-in Centres for advice and in a crisis.

Adoption and Children Bill

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what and how many representations he has received from individuals and voluntary adoption agencies regarding his proposed changes of access to birth information records as set out in the Adoption and Children Bill.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 29 November 2001
	I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	We have received many representations from individuals and organisations on access to information in relation to adoption and the provisions in the Adoption and Children Bill. As the hon. Member is aware, the Government have responded to the representations made to it and to the Special Standing Committee for the Bill by amending the provisions for access to birth record information.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now intends to announce a decision on the proposed merger of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the South Buckinghamshire NHS trusts.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 9 January 2002
	I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, column 192W.
	The merger of Stoke Mandeville Hospital NHS Trust and South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust has been proposed by the Trusts and Buckingamshire health authority. Ministers have agreed, in principle, that the public should be consulted on the proposal before any decision is made. The timing of the consultation is currently being finalised.

Emergency Services (Midlothian)

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government are doing to deter callers from dialling for an ambulance when there is no emergency; and how many hoax calls were made in the Midlothian constituency from 1995 to date.

Hazel Blears: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	NHS ambulance trusts in England continue to undertake work to inform their local population about appropriate use of emergency ambulance services.
	Ambulance services do not have to send an ambulance vehicle in response to 999 calls which do not require emergency care. Such calls will continue to receive a consistent and appropriate response based on national clinical standards. A fully crewed frontline ambulance will always be sent to life-threatening emergencies.
	Responsibilities for Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Delayed Discharges

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average time patients experiencing delayed discharges were delayed for each of the last three quarters.

Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
	No information was collected centrally about the length of delay for patients with delayed discharge until the first quarter of 2001–02. The information on the breakdown in length of delay for patients of all ages in Q1 of 2001–02 has been placed in the Library. No information was collected centrally about the length of delay for patients with delayed discharge until the first quarter of 2001–02. The information on the breakdown in length of delay for patients of all ages in the first and second quarters of 2001–02 has been placed in the Library. For equivalent information for the third quarter I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 18 March 2002, Official Report, column 159W.

Surgery (Cancellations)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average percentage of operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons as a proportion of admissions was in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: Data on the number of patients whose operations are cancelled by hospitals for non-clinical reasons at the last minute are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Year Cancellation as a percentage of elective admissions 
		
		
			 2001–02 Q2 1.6 
			 2001–02 Q1 1.6 
			 2000–01 Q4 1.7 
			 2000–01 Q3 1.4

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the number of (a) residential, (b) nursing and (c) dual registered homes beds that will be (i) available and (ii) required in the (A) private and (B) public sector in each of the next five years.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 4 March 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Members, the Member for Cheadle (Mrs. Calton) and the Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 12 March 2002, Official Report, column 1009W.
	The extra funding which we are making available to councils is designed to enable them to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the system to meet individual long-term care needs.

Private Finance Initiative

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which date he agreed to test new private finance initiative employment models; if he will set out the model of facilities employment which is being tested; and if he will identify the pilot sites where the model is under test.

John Hutton: In December 2001 an agreement was reached with Unison, private sector contractors and the Department on the terms under which portering, domestic, catering, laundry and security at three private finance initiative pilots (Queen Mary's hospital Roehampton, Barking/Havering and Stoke Mandeville hospital) will continue. The pilots are for staff in these five facilities to retain all their national health service employment terms, but be managed by the private sector.

Hospital Appointments

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital appointments were not attended in England in each of the last four years; and what measures are in place to reduce this number.

John Hutton: The number of patients who did not attend consultant out-patient appointments from 1997–98 to 2000–01 are given in the table. Information up to quarter 2 of 2001–02, is available on the Department website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.
	
		Total number of did not attends (DNAs) at all consultant out-patient clinics, England, 1997–98 to 2000–01
		
			 Year Total number 
		
		
			 2000–01 5,954,819 
			 1999–2000 5,882,510 
			 1998–99 5,648,971 
			 1997–98 5,629,429 
		
	
	Note:
	Did Not Attends (DNAs) are counted for those patients who gave no advance warning for their non-attendance.
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH09
	The Department has introduced the national booked admissions programme to offer patients a pre-booked appointment and a choice of date and time that is suitable to them. Booking systems have proven to significantly reduce the number of patients who do not attend appointments.
	As stated in the NHS plan, by the end of 2005 all out-patient appointments will be pre-booked, allowing patients to book convenient appointment times. Since March 2001 every acute NHS trust has been offering booked appointments in at least two specialties or high volume procedures. £50 million was allocated to the national booked admissions programme in 2001–02.

Foreign Referrals (Southampton University NHS Trust)

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the scope of current pilot schemes for foreign referrals will be extended to include Southampton University NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Since rulings of the European Court of Justice in July last year it has been clear that national health service bodies, including health authorities, primary care trusts and acute trusts, may commission treatment for NHS patients overseas. However, given that commissioning treatment overseas involves a number of difficult clinical, quality and legal issues the Department has advised NHS bodies contemplating sending patients abroad to contact the pilot sites first to obtain the benefit of their experience.
	The pilot scheme for foreign referrals concludes next month. Further guidance on overseas treatment will be sent to the NHS, drawing on the experience of the pilot.
	We are exploring the possibility of a small number of NHS bodies putting in place arrangements to commission overseas care on behalf of the rest of the NHS in England.

Health Spending

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to bring United Kingdom health spending into line with the EU average; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The European average for health spending has remained at between 7.9 and 8 per cent. of gross domestic product for a number of years. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has stated that, as long as the economy remains strong, we will reach the European Union average by 2005. Current spending plans will raise the level of United Kingdom total health expenditure to 7.6 per cent. of gross domestic product by 2003–04. Spending beyond this period will be decided in the coming spending review.

A and E Safety Equipment

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health against what agents the (a) personal protective equipment and (b) decontamination shelters provided to hospital accident and emergency departments can protect.

John Hutton: The chemical personal protective equipment (PPE) currently being made available to hospitals (and ambulance service staff) fully meets the NHS specification (NHSCPPE/2001) which was developed to ensure that health services personnel are protected during the decontamination of chemically contaminated casualties and able to provide life saving first aid during the decontamination process. The PPE has been tested against 15 liquid industrial chemicals in a standard test battery (ATSM F1001–99a) chosen to represent a broad range of liquid classes and properties. It has also been tested against a representative sample of chemical warfare agents.
	The purpose of the mobile decontamination facilities currently being made available to hospitals (and ambulance service staff) is to provide privacy and shelter for chemically contaminated casualties during the decontamination process. These facilities are not intended to provide protection against chemical agents for either health service personnel or the chemically contaminated casualty. Health service personnel will be protected by wearing PPE, while casualties will be given appropriate medical treatment once they have been decontaminated.

A and E Safety Equipment

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the provision of (a) personal protective equipment and (b) decontamination equipment to hospital accident and emergency departments has cost in each of the last three years

John Hutton: A total of £150 million has been invested in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Modernisation Programme in three waves since 1998. It is the biggest investment in A&E services since the start of the national health service. The final wave of funding was made available to the NHS in January 2001.
	The investment has provided various improvements to A&E services which include decontamination facilities. However, there is no complete breakdown in terms of cost as to specific details within a scheme.
	A £5 million capital allocation has been made in 2001–2002 to secure, through national contracts, the provision of mobile decontamination units and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Leukaemia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on treating chronic myeloid leukaemia with a combination of cytosine therapy and interphon alpha by health authority year by year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not available.

Hospices

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the number of beds freed within the NHS by the transfer of patients to hospice care in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much of the money at present allocated for the treatment of terminal cancer patient care will be directed to hospices; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: In the NHS Cancer Plan we pledged that the national health service contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care (including hospices) would increase by £50 million by 2004. This investment is intended to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. The level of funding voluntary hospices receive is a matter for local decision based on a strategic view of local palliative care services. We have required all cancer networks to develop costed strategic investment plans for palliative care, which will inform the wider NHS planning process through Health Improvement Programmes and Service and Financial Frameworks for 2002–3.
	Information on the number of beds freed within the NHS by the transfer of patients to hospice care is not available centrally. There are approximately 2,000 hospice beds in the voluntary sector and over 400 beds in the NHS in England. About 120,000 people die annually from cancer in England; approximately 50 per cent. of these die in hospital, 13 per cent. die in hospices and 25 per cent. die in their own homes.

NHS Vacancies

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS vacancies there were for (a) medical and dental staff, (b) qualified nurses, (c) professions allied to medicine and (d) administration and estates staff in (i) England and (ii) each health authority in (A) each year since 1997, (B) 1979 and (C) 1992.

John Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Waiting Times

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the waiting time for occupational therapy for arthritis sufferers at (a) the Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust, (b) the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust and (c) the Poole Hospital NHS Trust.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Waiting Times

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is from referral to first appointment with a consultant rheumatologist at (a) the Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust, (b) the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust and (c) the Poole Hospital NHS Trust.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Out-patient average (median) waiting times for rheumatology—December 2001
		
			 Code/Trust name Average (median) waiting time (in weeks) 
		
		
			 RD3  
			 Poole Hospital NHS Trust 6.10 
			   
			 RDZ  
			 Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust 6.33 
			   
			 RHM  
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 6.32 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The average waiting time is calculated as the median waiting time of those patients seen during the quarter for a first out-patient appointment in rheumatology specialty following GP referral.
	2. Data are for quarter ended December 2001.
	Source:
	QM08 waiting times return.

Bladder Cancer

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what national guidelines exist to govern the procedures and follow up intervals for patients treated for primary cancer of the bladder;
	(2)  what research he has conducted into the guidelines followed by other EU countries on the treatment of primary cancer of the bladder.

Yvette Cooper: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is commissioning a comprehensive package of guidance on cancer services covering all cancers which health authorities and NHS trusts will be expected to implement.
	NICE guidelines are based on the best available research evidence and expert professional advice. Research may be commissioned by NICE, or consist of existing material, including guidelines and best practice in other countries.
	NICE is expected to issue service guidance on urological cancer this summer.

Redundancy Packages

David Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 327W, on the costs of staff redundancy packages arising as a consequence of organisational change in the NHS, if he will make it his policy to collate details of these costs by region; and what data his Department collates on the costs of staff redundancy.

John Hutton: In accordance with Her Majesty's Treasury financial reporting guidelines, information on provisions for premature retirement pensions are separately identified in the published annual accounts of national health service trusts and health authorities. There are currently no plans to extend these reporting requirements or routinely collate data by region as this would unduly add to the administrative burden for the NHS.

Free Nursing Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1138W, on free nursing care, what estimate he has made of the number of assessments a person in receipt of free nursing care will need in the time they are in a care home.

Jacqui Smith: Based on an average length of stay in a nursing home of 30 months, one would expect three to four reviews to be made following the initial assessments.

Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department intends to respond to the letter of 23 January from the hon. Member for Aylesbury (ref. PO 003020).

Hazel Blears: A reply was sent on 21 March.

Correspondence

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letter of 17 December 2001 from the hon. Member for North Shropshire on funding for the minor injuries unit at the RJ and AH Orthopaedic hospital, Gobonea.

Yvette Cooper: A reply was sent on 6 March.